Monsoon in central India (PTI)

NEW DELHI: A well-marked low-pressure area that has developed over northwest Bay of Bengal will help monsoon continue in “active phase” over central parts of the country over the next 4-5 days, IMD said on Saturday, when the cumulative (June 1-July 4) rainfall deficit dropped to nearly 27% from 40% four days ago.As a result of the low-pressure system, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely over Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Konkan regions of Maharashtra and parts of Gujarat till July 10, further reducing the deficit and helping ongoing sowing operations.The “active phase” of monsoon may, however, bring some extreme rainfall events as well in central India and along western coast. This has prompted Met department to issue red alerts for different days for Odisha, Gujarat, parts of western Maharashtra and Konkan region, including Goa, for the next three days, asking local authorities to take appropriate precautionary measures.The reduction in monsoon deficit in next one week will specially benefit central India which had recorded the highest deficit of 50% as of June 30.This figure for central India went down to 23% as of Saturday. Rainfall deficit of 41% in east & northeast India, however, continues to be a matter of concern as it has severely impacted the sowing of kharif (summer sown) crops in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.Meanwhile, monsoon is gradually progressing to cover the remaining parts of the country in the northwest. “Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of Gujarat, remaining parts of Haryana and Punjab, and some more parts of Rajasthan during the next four days,” said IMD, hinting at the entire country being covered by the normal date of July 8.