NEW DELHI J - The slowdown in the southwestern monsoon, since June7 has put the Government under pressure, as India is likely to face a major agricultural crisis if the present trend in the weather continues.

The delayed monsoons may put the livelihood of millions of farmers at risk, as over 60 per cent of Indian agriculture is rain fed.

Madhya Pradesh is suffering 92 per cent, Chhattisgarh 91 per cent, Marathwada 82 per cent, Saurashtra 100 per cent, Orissa 43 per cent, Jharkhand 54 per cent, Bihar 81 per cent and Uttar Pradesh is facing a deficit of 85 per cent in monsoon rainfall.

But the Met Department is hopeful that monsoon will pick up by this week and most parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are likely to get the blessings of rain god.

According to sources in Met Department, for many years June rainfall has been bad, but monsoon turned out normal, this year country’s monsoon rainfall during June 1-17 was at 39.5 mm, 45 percent below the normal.

Meanwhile the effort to get the blessings of Varun Devata is also underway as the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister participated in Varun Yagna, and Andhra Pradesh Government instructed all the temples to perform special pooja and prayers to get good showers.

The delay in monsoons might force the governments to reduce the supply of water for irrigation and conserving it for drinking purposes.(ANI)