Monsoon withdraws from Himachal; 12% excess

Shimla : The southwest monsoon has withdrawn from Himachal Pradesh and it was 12 per cent in surplus -- after five consecutive years of remaining deficit in the state, the weather bureau said on Monday.

"The overall monsoon was above average in most parts of the state. The cumulative rainfall from June 1 to September 30 was 927.1 mm, which is 12 per cent higher than the normal rainfall," Meteorological Director Manmohan Singh told IANS.

He said the average rainfall during this period was 825.3 mm.

Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts, which saw heavy rains and snow from September 22 to 24, saw deficit monsoon rains. The deficiency was 38, 32 and 32 per cent respectively.

The remaining nine districts including Bilaspur, Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Kullu, Shimla and Una received either normal or excess rainfall.

According to the weather bureau, the state experienced deficit rainfall for five consecutive years from 2013.

Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in Himachal Pradesh, providing direct employment to 69 per cent of its workforce.