'Normal' monsoon likely by June end as rains to pick up pace in many states: IMD

India is likely to see a normalisation of monsoon by the end of this month as rainfall activities pick up in several parts of the country going ahead.

“By June 29-30, most of the parts like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, western Himalayas and Jammu and Kashmir will be covered. So conditions are highly favourable from June 29 for rainfall to increase in India,” said RK Jenamani, senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

The rainfall deficiency situation has improved in the second half of June with a pickup in monsoon activities. The overall shortfall in rains has fallen from 43 percent as of June 11 to 4 percent as of June 24.

While monsoon arrived in Kerala — the entry point for the Southwest monsoon in the mainland — early this year, most parts of the country have seen weaker rains in June.

While the rainfall deficit has reduced in the last two weeks as monsoon progressed, distribution has remained an area of concern, as shown by data from IMD.

Large states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra stand with a rainfall deficiency of 76 percent and 61 percent, respectively, even as the first month of monsoon is about to end.

A delayed monsoon and rainfall deficiency have also hit kharif crops with the overall sowing down by 28 percent as compared to last year, as per the agriculture ministry data.

Parts of north-west India, including the National capital-New Delhi could expect some respite over the next two days as conditions are becoming favourable for the onset of monsoon in the region.

According to the IMD website, between June 1 and June 16, the entire country, except a few states like Nagaland, Sikkim, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh, saw a deficiency in monsoon rainfall.

The rain shortfall comes at a time when India is witnessing record inflation in food prices. Monsoon is India's largest source of irrigation for crops and is essential to boost output and bring down prices.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) earlier predicted a normal monsoon this year, with rainfall at 103 percent of the long-period average (LPA).