"Our efforts will be to maintain four per cent agriculture growth this year and beyond that if monsoon cooperates," Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said in New Delhi.
Climate experts also warn the intensity of rains in Kerala and Uttarakhand is "alarming" and must draw immediate attention towards "climate emergency".
Four readers share their monsoon romances.
The south-west monsoon is likely to hit the national capital in a day or two as pre-monsoon showers drenched the city on Tuesday, bringing respite to denizens who have been braving an intense heat wave for the past week. Various parts of the city received rains during the past 12 hours, which brought down the temperature to tolerable levels around 25 degree Celsius, the Meteorological office said. The city has received over 10 mm of rains in the past three days.
The Ayanagar weather station recorded 122.8 mm between 8.30 am on Wednesday and 8.30 am on Thursday, which was 11 times the normal rainfall.
The Met department forecast heavy to very heavy showers in north coastal Tamil Nadu till Saturday.
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As many as 48 persons were injured in these incidents and 25 still missing, while so far, 2,29,074 persons have been evacuated from the flood and rain-affected affected areas and moved to safer places, the government said in a statement in Mumbai.
This may rescue pulses, cotton and oilseed sowing; rain revival in the south to take longer
IMD director general K J Ramesh said the Met wasn't being conservative and weather patterns indicated that there was a possibility of rainfall being very near to the 50-year LPA of 89 cm.
The S&P BSE Sensex shed 54 points to close at 26,813.
The news will augur well for the country as large parts have been witnessing agriculture distress and water levels in reservoirs in west and south India have dipped to low levels.
The finance ministry on Thursday raised concerns over the possible impact of El Nio conditions on India this year, saying if recent forecasts came true, the country could see lower agricultural output and higher inflation. "Some meteorological agencies predict the return of El Nio conditions in India this year. "If these predictions are accurate, then monsoon rains could be deficient, leading to lower agricultural output and higher prices," the ministry said in its monthly economic review.
Assocham-Skymet report says untimely rain may reappear in north India.
A delay in rains for monsoon-dependent India could pose challenges for the country's next government, possibly pushing up inflation and denting economic growth.
Monsoon has missed its date this year with granary states of Punjab and Haryana.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reviewed the rain situation on Tuesday and said over 3,500 people had been shifted to safer places from flood-prone and vulnerable spots across the state, where several districts, including Mumbai, experienced downpour.
Intense showers battered Chennai and other northern regions of Tamil Nadu on Thursday while the depression over Bay of Bengal crossed the coast by evening.
It could be a romantic getaway for two, a hike through gorgeous waterfalls or even a trek. Share your best experiences.
Trade sources believe that tomato supply from Maharashtra has slumped due to incessant rain in the state towards the fag end of the monsoon season, reports Dilip Kumar Jha.
No immediate relief appears in sight as the India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for six districts which have been already pounded by downpour, forecasting "extremely heavy" rainfall and recommending preventive actions.
More wonderful greens for a hearty monsoon meal.
Currently, only one cheetah, named Pavan, is roaming free, with officials noting that he is difficult to spot and capture.
'There is no mechanism to understand how things would evolve'.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who is in Delhi, expressed grief at the loss of lives and announced a compensation of Rs two lakh each to the families of the victims.
Monsoon's first spell in Delhi early Friday inundated the most posh areas of the city alike, including the Lutyens' Delhi which is home to several ministers and MPs, giving them a hard time reaching Parliament for the 18th Lok Sabha session.
Mumbai and its adjoining areas were lashed by heavy showers on Tuesday, causing water-logging at a number of places, including railway tracks, which slowed the movement of trains and vehicles on roads.
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According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Ayanagar weather station recorded 99.2 mm rainfall, the maximum in the city, during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Thursday.
The arrival of the wet season that is crucial to farmers in India.
A sudden downpour in Delhi caught citizens off guard and caused heavy waterlogging and traffic jams on Tuesday while Mumbai breathed a sigh of relief as showers stopped a day after heavy rain brought the metropolis to its knees.
Mumbai recorded over 250 mm of rain in just three hours (between midnight and 3 am), touching 305 mm by 7 am on Sunday, a meteorologist said.
This comes a day after the Uttar Pradesh government suspended six officials of civic agencies for alleged gross negligence following the road cave-ins and waterlogging at several sections of the newly-built Ram Path.
The national capital is expected to continue receiving moderate rainfall with some isolated intense spells for the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday.
A minister said the country had 7% less rain than normal.
Kumar also hinted that the Maharashtra elections could be held after Diwali.
While the city received some showers late Wednesday night, it remained almost dry on Thursday.
