India's Monsoon Delay Triggers Water Shortages and Farm Disruption

The southwest monsoon over India is falling about 40‑52% short of normal levels, with the India Meteorological Department attributing the delay to a developing El Niño and weaker low‑pressure systems. Delhi’s rains, usually expected by June 27, have been pushed back to early July, raising daytime temperatures to 37‑40 °C and prompting heat‑wave warnings in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Mumbai’s reservoirs are depleted, leading the municipal government to halt water supplies to swimming pools and construction sites and to impose long queues at public distribution points. Residents report waiting hours for a few litres of water. Across northern states, farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other regions are postponing sowing of kharif crops, citing fears of reduced yields and mounting debt.

In Odisha, the June rainfall deficit reached 52%, with twelve districts recording severe shortfalls (60‑90% below average) and temperatures soaring above 39 °C. The state’s agricultural calendar is similarly jeopardised. Forecasts predict continued below‑normal rain through early July, extending the water‑scarcity and planting challenges nationwide.