Monsoon to be 96 percent of long term average

New Delhi, June 22 (ANI): Allaying concerns over low farm output owing to sparse rainfall, the weather office on Friday said that the monsoon is expected to be average this year.

Minister of State (MoS) for Science and Technology, Ashwani Kumar said that in all probability the country would witness normal monsoon from June to September.

"According to the prognosis that they (the weather office) have today, they expect to have a normal monsoon from June to September. We have a very good probability and possibility of an absolutely normal monsoon," Kumar said.

The Metrological Department said in a statement that monsoon rains in 2012 would be 96 percent of the long-term average overall, down from its April forecast of 99 percent.

A normal or average monsoon means rainfall between 96-104 percent of a 50-year average of 89 centimetres in total, during the four-month season from June, according to weather office classification.

Kumar also said that the agricultural production would not be affected by the monsoon, as the deficient areas were well equipped with irrigation facilities.

"The impact (of monsoon) on the agricultural economy is going to be near normal in the sense that in slightly deficient areas, as far as the paddy crop is concerned, it will not be affected because they are 98 percent irrigated areas," Kumar added.

Kumar said that he was optimistic that there would be heavy rainfall in the coming days.

"There was a deficiency of 42 percent in the beginning of June. As June month has progressed that deficiency of 42 percent has now declined to now 24 percent and as we progress further in the end of June and July we expect heavy showers," he said. (ANI)