Summary:
The only silver lining is that the fortnightly bulletin predicted fairly widespread showers in the state on July 18. Sources said the agriculture department was directed to start disbursal of diesel subsidy to farmers and prepare a contingency plan to mitigate the losses of farmers. A monsoon trough is an imaginary line connecting the points of low pressure across the breadth of the country and monsoon rainfall normally hinges along it.Bihar has received 202.5mm rainfall from June 1 to July 13 as against normal 316.1mm, a deficiency of 36%. Sources said the rainfall intensity was likely to increase around July 21.Meanwhile, the IMD’s afternoon weather bulletin on Saturday said the monsoon trough was likely to shift southwards from its near normal position and continue to remain active in the coming three-four days. The rainfall deficiency for the entire country for the period from June 1 to July 11 stood at mere 8%.The rain deficit has created an adverse impact on paddy cultivation as it is the peak period for transplantation of paddy saplings in Bihar..