Shafaqna Pakistan: India said on Friday that monsoon rainfall in 2026 is expected to be below average due to the effects of El Niño, marking the first such decline in three years and raising concerns about agricultural production and economic growth amid inflationary pressures linked to the conflict involving Iran.
The monsoon is crucial to India’s nearly $4 trillion economy, the third largest in Asia. It provides about 70 per cent of the country’s annual rainfall, which is essential for irrigating farmland, replenishing groundwater reserves, and filling reservoirs.
M. Ravichandran, Secretary in India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences, said this year’s monsoon rainfall is forecast to reach 90 per cent of the long-period average, indicating a weaker-than-normal season.
Source: Reuters , Shafaqna English
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