India will witness above-normal monsoon this year, the weather office has predicted.
The prediction is good news for agriculture and the economy as the sector accounts for 18% of India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The livelihoods of over 42 per cent of the population also depend on agriculture.
Of the net cultivated area in the country, 52 per cent relies on monsoon rain, news agency PTI reported, and the system is also critical for the supply of drinking water as well as power generation.
"India is likely to see above-normal rainfall in the four-month monsoon season (June to September) with cumulative rainfall estimated at 105 per cent of the long-period average of 87 cm," India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said. El Nino conditions, which contribute to below-normal monsoon in the Indian subcontinent, are also unlikely to develop this year.
The monsoon usually makes landfall in Kerala around June 1 and retreats in mid-September.
Climate scientists say the number of rainy days is declining while heavy rain events (more rain over a short period) are increasing, leading to frequent droughts and floods.
Above-normal rainfall during the monsoon also does not necessarily mean that it will be evenly distributed.
