Current Affairs

Issue

Several states in the country are witnessing a decline in Southwest Monsoon rainfall, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD)

 

Background

The report cites the numbers of five states- Nagaland, Bihar, West Bengal, UP and Meghalaya- witnessing decreasing trends.

 

Details

• Along with Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, the annual rainfall in these states showed a decline between 1989 and 2018.

• The frequency of heavy rains have been witnessed in many parts of Saurashtra, Kutch Peninsula, South-west Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and many parts of Konkan, Goa and Uttarakhand.

 

Implications

• The agricultural season gets hampered due to changes in monsoon pattern. Farmers may face the biggest losses in terms of crop output.

• Monsoon is necessary for recharging groundwater and keeping constant flow in rivers and streams. Decline in rainfall will deplete water resources.

• The country’s food security will be in peril as major areas of rainfall deficiency are located in fertile agriculture regions of the country.

• The impact will also be severe on livestock and other animal rearing sector. Rural agro-economy will be the worst affected.

• There will be an increased migration from rainfall deficient areas towards metro cities. Urbanization will further stress the resources of cities.

 

Monsoon

• Monsoon is a seasonal wind system that brings moisture- laden clouds to cause rainfall across the region.

• For the first six months, the wind blows from south-west side and the next six months it blows from north-east side.