PUNE, Aug 8: It may not be the El Nino effect, but last week's weak monsoon over eastern parts of Maharashtra and most of Andhra Pradesh as well as Tamil Nadu has aggravated the rain deficit in this agriculturally-rich vast part of the country.Weatherman's statistics tells that in Marathwada region of Maharashtra, the deficit has gone up to 48 per cent. This is overall regional deficit. At micro level, in some of the chronically drought-prone pockets, the seasonal deficit is still higher.Vidarbha, one of the rich grain-producing areas, has so far received only two-third of the expected rain so far, with the region's deficit mounting to 35 per cent. As for Andhra Pradesh, the deficit is 39 per cent in Telengana, 31 per cent in coastal areas and 18 per cent in Rayalaseema. In Tamil Nadu it has gone up to 20 per cent.Monsoon was dismally poor over the eastern states during the week ending Thursday morning and as a result the entire region is now showing a rain deficit.Monsoon, however, has not been hostile to the entire country. Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and Gujarat have received bountiful rainfall, at times a bit too much. Haryana has received 49 per cent excess rain, Punjab 29 per cent, Bihar plains 34 per cent, Bihar plateau 27 per cent, Gujarat region 33 per cent and Saurashtra-Kutch 19 per cent. Even Rajasthan is experiencing a happy monsoon, with the seasonal excess in western parts of the State going up to 74 per cent.
