New Delhi, September 9
The withdrawal of monsoon from the country has been delayed. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) today predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in the entire northwest - Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and the Jammu region - during the next two days.

Satellite images show a cloud cover over most parts of the country and the IMD is forecasting similar heavy rains in other parts, including Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and east Madhya Pradesh, during the next 48 hours.

IMD Director General Ajit Tyagi confirmed that monsoon had extended its stay in the northwest - a forecast that forced agriculture experts into saying that if rains do not stop soon, it could be a cause of worry for not just cotton, but also standing paddy stalks and all vegetables, apart from those grown on ridges.

“There is no sign that seasonal rains will retreat for at least the next week,” Tyagi said. “Monsoon is going strong and good rain would occur over the northwest during the next seven to 10 days”.

According to the IMD, rainfall activity would decrease over northwest India from September 17. There is also some possibility that monsoon will start withdrawing from parts of northwest India towards the end of next week.

While a good monsoon has so far helped major crop-producing regions with summer crops like rice, oilseeds and sugarcane, rain at this time can cause damage to the standing paddy crop, agriculture economist SS Johl said.

“Heavy rains have already affected cotton crop in some areas. It is the picking season and the crop is in full bloom. However, if the rain does not stop soon, the paddy crop too could suffer. Rain at this point can lead to grain shattering and also flattening of the standing crop. This is a critical time for paddy with the crop set to mature in 15 days. It is mandatory that the fields be dry at the time of harvesting,” he said. Besides, rain can also increase the moisture content in the crop, affecting its quality.