Will El Niño affect India's monsoon and farmers? Here's the Centre's preparedness plan

Government on alert over El Niño concerns: The Centre is closely monitoring the progress of the monsoon amid concerns over the possible impact of El Niño. Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the government has put in place a multi-layered strategy to deal with any adverse situation.

Addressing the media after a high-level review meeting in Delhi on Wednesday, Chouhan said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been preparing for potential weather-related challenges well in advance and is maintaining continuous monitoring at both the Centre and state levels.

Rainfall deficit narrows in July

The minister said the rainfall deficit, which stood at 33 per cent in June, has narrowed to 24 per cent in July as rainfall activity improved across several parts of the country. The number of districts receiving deficient rainfall has also declined to 178 from 262 following improved precipitation in recent days.

According to Chouhan, the government is keeping a close watch on the situation in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha. He expressed hope that rainfall would gather further momentum during July, helping accelerate kharif sowing.

Kharif sowing lags last year

The minister said kharif sowing has so far covered 350.85 lakh hectares, about 91.95 lakh hectares lower than the corresponding period last year. He attributed the gap mainly to the delayed onset of the monsoon, which has affected soybean and cotton cultivation.

To address the situation, farmers have been advised to opt for short-duration and less water-intensive crops such as maize, pearl millet and moong wherever required.

Contingency plans and farmer outreach

Chouhan said preparations to tackle a possible El Niño impact had begun in April. With support from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), contingency plans were prepared for districts likely to be affected and shared with state governments.

He added that under the "Khet Bachao Abhiyan" conducted in June, more than 1.24 lakh programmes were organised, reaching over 80 lakh farmers across the country.

Seed reserve and credit support

To ensure uninterrupted sowing, the government has maintained a national seed reserve of around 1.75 lakh quintals, Chouhan said, adding that the stock would help meet any additional demand arising from weather-related disruptions.

On institutional support, the minister said the government has accelerated the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) campaign. Of the 1.14 lakh applications received till June 30, more than 94,000 have already been approved.

He also said efforts are continuing to increase farmer participation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to provide financial protection against potential crop losses.

Monitoring system remains active

Chouhan said the government's monitoring mechanism remains fully operational in view of the El Niño outlook. The El Niño Monitoring Cell, Crop Weather Watch Group, state-level control rooms and designated officials are continuously tracking monsoon progress, sowing, crop conditions and market developments.

The minister said the government is not only monitoring the evolving situation but is also equipped with contingency plans, adequate resources and a time-bound strategy to respond to any challenges that may arise.