NEW DELHI: The monsoon is likely to advance over the remaining parts of West Bengal, coastal Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar during the next two days, an inter-ministerial meeting on crop sowing held in the Ministry of Agriculture was told on Monday.

Moderate rainfall activity over north-eastern States, east India and along the west coast was likely to continue till June 8 after which the Southwest monsoon was likely to go into a "weak phase" as per the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting.

According to weather experts, subdued rainfall activity was likely to continue over the interior peninsula, central and northwest India between June 5 and 8. An upper air cyclonic circulation in the mid-troposphere had descended into lower troposphere over the head of the Bay of Bengal. An east-west trough was also establishing. Under their influence a low pressure area was likely to form over remaining parts of West Bengal. It was likely to increase rainfall activity and the consequent advance of monsoon, the weather expert informed the meeting.

The meeting noted with concern the forecast for weakening of monsoon after June 8. If that were the case, an advisory would be issued for farmers to plan sowing accordingly.

Sowing picks up

So far with the advance of monsoon activity, the sowing of summer rice, sugarcane and coarse cereals has been higher than last year. The transplantation of summer rice is over. The total coverage of rice has been 49.36 lakh hectares against 40.19 lakh hectares. The area under pulses is also higher at 138.5 lakh tonnes.

The coverage of sugarcane is 43.64 lakh hectares against 40.19 lakh hectares. Sowing of summer coarse cereals is reported to be 4.92 lakh hectares against 4.04 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year.

According to the representative of the Central Water Commission, the total live storage in 76 important reservoirs in parts of the country was 29.762 billion cubic metres (BCM) on June 2, as compared to 16.619 BCM during the corresponding date last year. The storage was more than the last year's position by 13,143 BCM and more than the average of last 10 years storage by 11.14 BCM.

There are 52 reservoirs with more than 80 per cent storage, seven reservoirs between 50 per cent to 80 per cent, five reservoirs with more than 30 per cent storage and up to 50 per cent and four reservoirs with storage up to 30 per cent of normal storage.

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