Forget about the silver lining, still looking for dark clouds....

“Rain in Mumbai: Thirsting for more
Delayed rains, farmers’ nightmare
Andhra farmers worried over delayed rain…” so run the headlines across all dailies and news portals.
Its 25th June and the rains failed the forecast of the met department. Though it rained in few pockets in Mumbai the city faces a grim future if the monsoon does not catch on within two weeks. Heat waves scorch the north and central parts with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees. Roads have scattered traffic through the day with people looking for respite in enclosed spaces and AC consumption is on an all time high. No dark cloud, forget looking for any silver lining.
June has been a cruel month for the farmers and July is awaited with prayers on their lips.
Madhya Pradesh, the state producing 55% of the country’s edible oils still awaits monsoons, whereas by July beginning the sowing of seeds is already done. Delay in monsoons mean a drastic fall in food grain production and with the dried out tube wells and bore wells the anxiety levels for all farmers is very high. With all valuables pledged for money to buy seeds, the rain failure not only indebts them but also bring them to the brink with no food or money to sustain life.
As per NDTV report, the rain failure in the Krishna belt causes loss of 40,000 tonnes of food grain. In Telangana region the cotton crop is still to be sown and Andhra Pradesh counts days to water the fields to be readied for like paddy, cotton, maize and groundnut.
Government officials have predicted 81% of avg rainfall in the northwestern region of India and over all a 93% shortage. There is hope for a monsoon revival but the clouds seem very elusive. The rains, which should have covered most parts of the country by now, have stopped their movement ahead. The worry is that sixty per cent of the crops are rain fed and the government is drawing up contingency plans to counter the situation.
Rain failure would also put the newly elected government’s promise for providing food to all. Let’s see when it rains. Whenever, it does, should rain cats and dogs!