Mango trees in north India which were in early flowering stage due to delayed winter are affected by sudden rains in the beginning of the current year.

In the post-monsoon period (October to December 2000), the average rainfall all over the country has been 50 per cent below the normal expected rainfall of 120.7 mm at 60.7 mm. Only four met subdivisions - north interior Karnataka, south interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura - received normal rains. Out of 35 met subdivisions, 13 received deficient rains and 18 received scanty rains. The situation is worst in Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh and western Orissa, the states which were earlier affected by poor monsoon rains and are heading towards severe drought conditions. Andaman & Nicobar Islands too had poor rains in both the periods, but being a group of small islands, the problems there are manageable.

The total river water availability in Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Orissa is critically low and depletion of groundwater table is significant. The drastic reduction in the water availability will affect the produces from these states. Gujarat and Rajasthan are the major producers of oilseeds and pulses. MP produces quality duram variety of wheat and Chhattisgarh and western Orissa are rice producing belts.

The total live storage in 70 important reservoirs in the country was only 63.81 TM Cum on December 29, 2000, representing only 49 per cent of the storage capacity at full reservoir level (FRL). Owing to the critical conditions in five states, the area coverage under wheat so far has been only 198.9 lakh hectare as against the normal area of 266 lakh hectare. It is only in Punjab and Haryana that the sowing has been completed and the area coverage is normal. But these two states have also received poor rains in the post-monsoon period. Punjab received rains 94 per cent below normal, while Haryana received rains 98 per cent below normal in the post-monsoon period.

Area covered under rabi paddy so far is only 2.2 lakh hectares and these fall under the assured irrigated areas. Normal area for rabi paddy is 38 lakh hectare. Major rabi rice growing states are Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal with an area of 12.4 lakh hectare each. Post-monsoon rainfall in West Bengal has been deficient by 46 per cent, while in Andhra Pradesh only Rayalaseema area had normal rains. In Telangana area rainfall was deficient by 70 per cent and in coastal Andhra Pradesh the rainfall was deficient by 56 per cent. Amongst rabi coarse cereals, the area coverage under jowar is less than the previous year by 5 lakh hectare and less by 3.3 lakh hectare from the normal area. Most of the crop area in Maharashtra is rain-fed and due to long dry spell in post-monsoon period the crop is subjected to moisture stress. Barley sowing is complete and has reached its normal coverage. Maize sowing is in progress and area coverage is at par with that in last year. Area coverage under rabi oilseeds so far is 65.9lakh hectare as against the normal of 107 lakh hectare and as against coverage of 85.6 lakh hectare in the like period last year. Area coverage under rabi pulses is only 84.4 lakh hectare as against 105.1 lakh hectare in last year.