Madhya Pradesh Monsoon Falters as Rainfall Stays 14% Below Normal, Alirajpur Faces Severe Crisis

Madhya Pradesh is grappling with an uneven monsoon season, with the state recording 14 per cent below-normal rainfall since June 1, raising fresh concerns over agriculture and the progress of the ongoing kharif sowing season.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the state has received 286.8 mm of rainfall against the normal 335.3 mm, highlighting a significant shortfall during a crucial period for farmers.

The situation is most alarming in the tribal-dominated Alirajpur district, which has emerged as the worst-affected region with a staggering 78 per cent rainfall deficit. The district has received only 64.8 mm of rainfall compared to its normal 297.9 mm, severely impacting agricultural activities.

The prolonged dry spell has significantly slowed the sowing of key kharif crops, including soybean, maize, black gram, cotton and groundnut. Officials said only 1.16 lakh hectares have been sown so far, a sharp decline from 1.89 lakh hectares during the same period last year.

Dr R K Yadav, Senior Scientist and Head of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Alirajpur, said inadequate rainfall has not only delayed sowing but has also affected the growth of crops already planted. Farmers have been advised to switch to short-duration and low water-requiring crops such as moong, jowar and millet if rainfall remains inadequate over the coming days.

The rainfall pattern across Madhya Pradesh has remained highly uneven. Eastern Madhya Pradesh has recorded an 18 per cent rainfall deficit, while the western region has registered an 11 per cent shortfall.

In eastern MP, Rewa recorded the sharpest decline with 59 per cent below-normal rainfall, followed by Maihar, Singrauli, Narsinghpur and Sidhi, all of which also witnessed substantial deficits. Niwari, however, stood out as the only district in the region to receive 10 per cent above-normal rainfall.

The western part of the state presented a contrasting picture. Dewas emerged as Madhya Pradesh's wettest district after recording 460.3 mm of rainfall, which is 51 per cent above normal. Indore, Bhind, Burhanpur and Bhopal also experienced above-normal rainfall.

Meanwhile, districts including Jhabua, Narmadapuram, Dhar, Datia, Shivpuri and Morena continued to face rainfall deficits ranging between 33 and 45 per cent. Ratlam, Barwani, Shajapur, Ashoknagar and Gwalior also remained below normal, while Khandwa, Khargone, Rajgarh and Ujjain reported near-normal rainfall.

With the monsoon remaining inconsistent across the state, agriculture experts say the coming weeks will be crucial in determining crop prospects and the overall performance of Madhya Pradesh's kharif season.