Kalsi, however, clarified that the impact of rains and weather trends on agricultural crops was not his jurisdiction. Responding to a question on the impact of the heavy landslide in the Himalayan region, Kalsi said landslide and its impact on general atmosphere etc was to be analysed by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).

It may be noted here that owing to heavy landslides in the Himalayan region last week, unconfirmed number of people had lost their lives and many were still buried under mountains of ice. For at least a coupleof days even defence forces' relief teams could not be reached to the spot, according to other reports.

Other than these certain untoward instances, the main features last week on the weather front included the setting in of north-east monsoon over Tamil Nadu, Kerala and adjoining states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

In the outlook for the coming week ending November 4, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that "rainfall activity is likely to increase over Andaman & Nicobar Islands and along the east coast of the country." Besides, normal rainfall activity is likely over southern peninsular region, IMD has forecast.

During the review period of the week ended October 28, rainfall occurred AT MANY PLACES in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, West Bengal and Sikkim, Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. During the same period, rainfall occurred at isolated places in the rest of the regions of the country except over West Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Lakshadweep where weathermainly remained dry. Rainfall occurred at a few places in Konkan and Goa, Vidarbha, East Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Coastal and South Interior Karnataka.

Seasonal rainfall during October 1 to 28 was excessive -- plus 20 per cent or more -- in more than 20 meteorological sub-divisions including Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, J & K, Konkan and Goa, interior Karnataka, as well as Andhra Pradesh.

Deficient rainfall -- minus 20 per cent to minus 59 per cent -- was experienced in places like East Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry while it was scanty -- minus 60 per cent to minus 99 per cent -- in the regions of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

A well-marked low-pressure area formed over south-east Bay of Bengal and lay centred about 1,000 km east-south-east of Chennai on October 26.

The system intensified into a depression and lay centred about 900 km south-east of Machilipatnam in the morning of October 27.

However, the system weakened into alow-pressure area over west-central Bay of Bengal on October 29 night.

During the cumulative period of October 1 to 28, the cumulative rainfall was normal-to-excess in 32 out of 35 meteorological sub-divisions of the country.The highest departure from normal rainfall occurred during the week under review in East Madhya Pradesh where the departure registered was plus 173 per cent, followed by Gangetic West Bengal with plus 141 per cent.

Other regions with high percentage departures from normal rainfall included Arunachal Pradesh with plus 127 per cent.

It is noteworthy that the week before last -- that is week ended October 21 -- West Rajasthan was the highest departure area with plus 5,013 per cent departure from normal rainfall.

The lowest departure from normal rainfall was registered by Andaman & Nicobar Islands region with minus 13 per cent departure, East UP and Bihar Plateau with minus 29 and minus 36 per cent rainfall, respectively.