Conditions favourable for strengthening of monsoon: IMD

New Delhi, Jun 19 (UNI) Rainfall over Peninsular India, Konkan, Goa, central Maharashtra, northeastern states, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim was likely to increase over the next two days, the India Meteorological Department said today.

''Conditions are favourable for strengthening of southwest monsoon activity over the peninsula including Maharashtra within next 2-3 days,'' the IMD said.

The National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, meanwhile, said that though ''conditions may develop for possible revival'' of monsoon over south peninsular India, the ''revival...

may not be of classical type''.

''All meteorological subdivisions of the country reported scanty or deficient rainfall between June 8-14 barring Bihar and the North-Eastern states where normal and excess rainfall was reported,'' the NCMRWF said.

In its agro-meteorological advisory, the NCMRWF said since monsoon was unlikely to revive during the next seven days over northern, central and western parts of India, farmers in these areas should defer Kharif sowing till the next spell of rains.

Farmers in South India and the North-Eastern states should continue sowing since good monsoon condition was likely to prevail there while farmers in North-West India should raise paddy nursery by selecting varieties like K-39, Palam Dhan, Pant Dhan-12, PR-108 and Pusa Basmati-1 respectively, it added.

Farmers in Central India -- where mainly dry weather would prevail for the next 5-7 days -- should prepare the fields for sowing paddy nursery and other Kharif crops, it said.

''In Central India, eastern UP, Bihar and Jharkhand farmers are advised to raise medium and short duration varieties of paddy under irrigated condition'', it added.

Monsoon had entered a weak phase earlier this month and its northern advance had halted after it covered almost half the country.

It had hit the Kerala coast six days early on May 26.

UNI VN PR HT1942