El Nino puts India’s kharif crops under stress

As the monsoon season draws to a close, concerns are mounting over the impact of El Nino-induced drought on India's kharif crops. Over half of the country's landmass is currently experiencing some level of drought, with the affected area expanding from 46% to 53.2% in just a week. The India Drought Monitor, developed by IIT Gandhinagar's Water and Climate Lab, reveals that 33.4% of India's total area suffers from moderate to extreme drought, while 3.8% is in extreme drought.

This assessment is particularly significant as the country's southwest monsoon rainfall remains about 15% below normal.

The monsoon season has been marked by extreme weather events, with both floods and droughts occurring across the nation. Vimal Mishra, dean of Research and Development at IIT Gandhinagar, notes that this year has seen a mix of both conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that El Nino could contribute to drought-like conditions during the monsoon rains and has forecasted below-normal seasonal rainfall across the country.

Drought conditions are most severe in states like Maharashtra, where 85.2% of the land is affected, with 25.93% facing extreme drought and 17.2% under exceptional drought. Other states like Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana also show significant drought stress. The drought-like conditions could pose a threat to standing kharif crops, particularly in rain-fed regions, raising concerns about crop yields, especially for crops like tur, urad, and soybean.