New Delhi: More than one-fourth of the country has received deficient rainfall this monsoon, which is halfway through, but the IMD is hopeful of the situation improving in the remaining period.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there is five per cent overall shortfall in rains across the country, but the deficiency is more in 26 per cent of the country's land mass. The rainfall deficiency is more in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and western Uttar Pradesh, it said.
IMD has projected "normal" southwest monsoon in 2017, which is from June to September.
"The coastal, north and south interior Karnataka have been receiving good rainfall since the last two days. Rainfall has also begun in Marathwada and Madhya Pradesh. We are hoping the situation will improve," IMD Director General K J Ramesh said.
Last week, the Met Department had said the second half of the monsoon season is likely to be 100 per cent of the Long Period Average. The rainfall during August is likely to be 99 per cent.
Noting that monsoon is reviving, Secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences Madhavan Rajveevan tweeted, "Good rains over central India including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat in the next 2 weeks."