India to see 'below normal' rains

New Delhi, Jun 24: Reinforcing what the media has been speculating for awhile now, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday, Jun 24 made it official that the monsoon forecast for this season will be 'below normal'.

The monsoon for Jun-Sep 2009 is likely to be 7 per cent below normal, said the IMD. While the southwest monsoon is also likely to be below normal, the northeast rainfall is expected to be 81 per cent of the normal level.

These forecasts have got the country worried as the agriculture sector, which depends on rains, supports majority of the population will be severely hit. And, even though the sector contributes to just 20 per cent of the GDP, the country was counting in it as other sectors have already been hit by the global economic slowdown.

OneIndia News