Expressing optimism over monsoon condition this year, the India Meteorological Department’s director general, K.J. Ramesh has said that India's monsoon is likely to be a robust and healthy one this year provided there is not a surprise El Nino phenomenon. Monsoon rains, is crucial for the country and it is also a lifeblood for farm, is likely to arrive on the southern tip of Kerala state on around June 1 and retreat from the desert state of Rajasthan by September.
Ramesh said ‘It's really early to talk about the pattern that this year's monsoon will follow, but we do know that practically no one is predicting a strong El Nino.’ Plentiful monsoon rains could lift agricultural and wider economic growth and keep food prices and overall inflation subdued. He added that the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) phenomenon could also be a positive development.
The IMD defines average, or normal, rainfall as between 96 percent and 104 percent of a 50-year average of 89 cm for the entire four-month season beginning in June. In 2017 and 2018, rainfall was 95% and 91% of the long-term average, respectively. The IMD is likely to make its first official forecast of this year's monsoon rains by the middle of April.
