-The Hindu   States advised to give preference to drinking water and irrigation and enhance groundwater use. An alarming depletion in the water levels (at 57 per cent of last year’s storage) of important reservoirs, owing to the delayed and weak southwest monsoon, has prompted the Central government to issue an advisory to the States on Monday to make “judicious and regulated” releases. The States have been advised to give preference to drinking water...

As the monsoon rains continue to play truant over much of the country, concerns about the fate of India’s rain-fed agricultural sector this year means that lakhs of farm labourers could be forced to look for other options. Anticipating an increase in demand for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) jobs this season, the Centre has indicated its willingness to sanction additional funds – to the tune...

-The Times of India With the development of cyclonic circulation over east central Arabian Sea on Tuesday, the southwest monsoon finally showed promise of progressing further into the country. In the next three days, the system which had so far stalled over coastal Karnataka and Tamil Nadu shortly after its onset on June 5 will become stronger over the west coast and Konkan.  "Under the influence of the cyclonic circulation, the southwest...

-The Hindu States told to have contingency plans ready, post-delay in onset in Kerala   Agriculture experts and officials are closely monitoring the advance of the southwest monsoon, which is crucial not only for the important summer kharif crop but also the socio-economic wellbeing of the country. There are apprehensions that with farm growth having slowed down in the pre-wheat harvest quarter to 1.7 per cent, if the monsoon were to be deficient, then...

The odds of an El Nino phenomenon developing in July through September and potentially affecting the Indian monsoon are dead-even at 50-50, offering hope that India's agriculture and economy may yet escape a crippling blow.  A stuttering economy has seen heightened attention on the Pacific warming, known to disrupt the southwest monsoon, as poor rains this year can be a further brake on growth, jeopardizing bonus farm production recorded in recent...