Uttam's take: Waiting for the monsoon

After a week's delay due to Cyclone Phet, the south-west monsoon finally restarted on its course on Monday, according to the India Meteorological Department.

The monsoon has advanced to parts of coastal Karnataka, said IMD officials.

The south-west monsoon had reached Kerala a day earlier on May 31, but got stranded due to Cyclone Phet, till June 6.

As the cyclone decreased in intensity and moved away towards the Oman coast, the south-west monsoon moved on, said IMD officials.

Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh

"The monsoon is expected to strike Goa, central Maharashtra, parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the next two or three days," said an IMD report.

Mumbai and Delhi have already experienced pre-monsoon showers. The light showers have brought relief to both cities, which have been gasping due to the rising mercury levels, in the couple of days.

The pre-monsoon showers will continue to lash parts of Mumbai, said IMD officials.

The monsoon was expected to reach Mumbai on June 10.

Weather officials are watching the monsoon's progress towards the western coast keenly, as it will indicate whether the rains will be timely and adequate this year.

The monsoon will reach Gujarat by June 17, said IMD officials. Some parts of the state have already received a considerable amount of rainfall due to Cyclone Phet, which was expected to strike the Gujarat coast, but veered away at the last minute.

Due to the cyclone, heavy rains have thrown life out of gear in parts of Rajasthan, flooding even national highways. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from low-lying areas near Pokhran.

The monsoon may be delayed by one or two weeks in rice-growing states like West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, warn IMD officials. The cultivation of rice requires copious quantities of water.

Agricultural output across India had been severely affected due to the weak monsoon last year.

There is good news for sugar and cotton regions, as they will receive rains within two or three days.