Monsoon in India
Context
The article highlights the role, importance and mainly the contrasting nature of two important monsoon patterns of India: The Southwest monsoon and the northeast monsoon.
Relevance:
GS-01 (Physical Geography)
Dimensions of the Article:
- Overview of the Monsoon’s Characteristics and Significance in India
- Southwest vs. Northeast Monsoon: A Comparison
- Northeast Monsoon: Regional Importance
- Urban Flooding: A Rising Concern
- How Global Climate Patterns Influence Rainfall
- Way forward
Overview of the Monsoon’s Characteristics and Significance in India
- India experiences two main monsoons: the southwest and the northeast.
- Southwest monsoon:
- It arrives normally in June and lasts until September.
- It contributes to nearly 75% of India’s total rainfall.
- Most of the country’s agricultural activities, especially in northern, central, and western India depend on this.
- Northeast monsoon:
- It comes in and around mid-October and continues until December.
- Its contribution as compared to southwest monsoon is much smaller.
- It contributes to around 11%, but it is very crucial for certain states in southern India like Tamil Nadu, which relies heavily on the northeast monsoon for its water needs and agricultural activities.
Southwest vs. Northeast Monsoon: A Comparison
- The southwest monsoon brings moisture-laden winds from Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea that showers rain across India.The northeast monsoon, however, is more localised and results from the reversal of winds that bring rain mainly to Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and southern Karnataka.
- Southwest monsoon is praised for its capability to fill up reservoirs and support widespread farming, the northeast monsoon is the lifeline for the southernmost parts of India.
- Southwest monsoon is more consistent with minimal fluctuations. The northeast monsoon, is more unpredictable in nature, with variations of up to 25%. It even leads to cycles of droughts and floods, especially in Tamil Nadu.
Northeast Monsoon: Regional Importance
- For Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh, the northeast monsoon is the primary source of water for drinking and irrigation for important crops like rice and maize. The farmers in this region depend and plan in accordance with this rainfall.
- Tamil Nadu: 48% of the state’s annual rainfall comes from the northeast monsoon. Hence, most of the agriculture is directly dependent on this rainfall.
- Andhra Pradesh: Deficit in Northeast Monsoon results in food security challenges and water availability.
Urban Flooding:
- One of the biggest concerns in recent years has been the increasing incidence of urban flooding in southern cities, particularly Chennai due to northeast monsoon.
- The unpredictable nature of the northeast monsoon has made urban planning and disaster management difficult in cities like Chennai. Poor drainage systems and inadequate infrastructure have made it worse.
How Global Climate Patterns Influence Rainfall
- Global weather phenomena, like the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), play a significant role in shaping the behavior of the northeast monsoon. El Niño, which refers to the warming of the Pacific Ocean, often leads to reduced rainfall, while La Niña, the cooling phase, tends to bring more rain.
- However, the relationship between these phenomena and the northeast monsoon is not always straightforward. This makes it harder for meteorologists to make accurate predictions. In recent years, there has been increased interest in studying how climate change may be altering global weather patterns, and in turn, impacting India’s monsoons.
Way forward:
- The IMD has improved forecasting systems for the southwest monsoon. However, focus must also be made to northeast monsoon as well.
- However, IMD had predicted an ‘above normal’ northeast monsoon in 2023, forecasting for specific regions and managing urban flooding still remains a challenge.
- Improved weather models are needed to help predict rainfall more accurately, particularly in urban areas prone to flooding. Advances in satellite technology, data analytics, and AI-driven forecast models can help identify patterns in the northeast monsoon and make predictions more reliable.
- Budgets for disaster management need to be increased to account for the growing risks posed by climate change and erratic monsoon patterns
