India is staring at the danger of one of its driest monsoon seasons in more than a decade as a strong El Niño threatens to weaken rainfall. According to DW, India’s rainfall has already been 43% below normal, and the IMD has forecast monsoon rainfall at only 90% of the long-period average. This is a serious warning for agriculture, rural livelihoods, drinking water, groundwater recharge, reservoirs and food prices.
Nearly half of India’s farmland still depends on rainfall. A prolonged deficit during the kharif season will force farmers to depend more on irrigation, increase cultivation costs and deepen pressure on already stressed groundwater. The Agriculture Ministry has identified 111 districts with irrigation coverage of 25% or less as high-priority areas for intervention.
El Niño is a natural climate pattern, but its impact is becoming more dangerous in the age of climate change. India is now facing longer dry spells, sudden heavy rainfall, heat stress and extreme weather. The urgent need is public action: protect farmers, conserve water, strengthen local irrigation, prepare crop-contingency plans and treat climate adaptation as a people’s survival issue.
🔗 Source: DW — https://amp.dw.com/en/india-braces-for-drought-as-el-nino-threatens-monsoon-rains/a-77704414
