MUMBAI, June 27 (Reuters) - India's monsoon season rains were set to cover the whole country by the weekend, according to meteorological department officials, allowing farmers in northern states to begin planting of summer-sown crops a week earlier than normal.
The monsoon, the lifeblood of India's $3 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70% of the rain needed to water its farms and recharge reservoirs and aquifers.
This year, the formation of severe cyclone Biparjoy in the Arabian Sea delayed the onset of monsoon rains and stalled their progress, with just a third of the country covered until last week.
"By this weekend, the monsoon will cover the remaining parts as well," he said.
Many north-eastern, central and northern states are likely to receive heavy rainfall this week, which would bring the deficit below 20%, a second IMD official said.
Persons:
El, Rajendra Jadhav, Simon Cameron, Moore
Organizations:
India Meteorological Department, IMD, Reuters, El Nino, Thomson
Locations:
MUMBAI, Kerala, India's, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, El Nino, Southeast Asia, India, Australia, Nino