The Southwest Monsoon has broken in right earnest much ahead of schedule over northern Madhya Pradesh that was reeling under drought conditions for the past few years. Isolated medium to heavy rain is being recorded in the rest of the state.

It is a hard blow that will not land softly. As the Manmohan Singh government braces for the June 5 fuel shock to reflect more fully in this Friday's inflation figures, even a good monsoon may not quite rescue it from the political quagmire of high food prices and rising interest rates.

The state government on Wednesday decided to continue the controversial cloud seeding operations for another five years. Tenders have been called to select the company which will conduct the operations. A top official said that there was actually no scientific reason for continuing the programme but added that there was

With an early onset of rainy season ensuring a near-zero emergency upkeep, gear up for more bumpy rides. Scientists at Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) say the road authorities

The West Bengal Government on Wednesday called in the Army and the Air Force as continuous rainfall caused flash floods in West Midnapur district. The incessant rainfall was triggered by a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal and the southwest monsoon since Monday. At least five persons were killed and 1.6 million people affected.

Times of India, Jaipur, 19 June 08 JAIPUR: A day after the city faced severe problems of waterlogging when the first showers of the monsoon hit the city, JMC, JDA and the district administration held a joint consultation at the JDA headquarters on how to deal with the problem. As the city is not yet ready to provide the basic civic amenities, the mayor on Wednesday announced some emergency measures to tackle a repeat of Tuesday-like situation in the city.

P. Venugopal Rainfall 40 p.c. deficient so far in southern districts A big concern is power generation THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seventeen days after the monsoon had set in over Kerala, almost right on schedule on May 31, the State is still waiting for the kind of rains that will drench its fields for the seasonal crops and fill its reservoirs to drive its power generating stations.

Times of India, Jaipur When it rains, it pours. This came true for Rajasthan, which received heavy rain in several districts on Tuesday. Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Jaipur, Sikar and Jhunjhunu received heavy rain on Tuesday. Four children, aged between 10 and 13 years, drowned in a pond at Amrapura village in Alwar district. The children had gone swimming and were unprepared for the increased water level following heavy rain since Monday night.

At least 27 people are feared killed and more than 3 lakh people displaced in the northeast, particularly Assam, with the onset of monsoons. Not just the northeast, but large parts of northern Orissa are also under water, with the army and administration on overdrive to evacuate villagers in the flood-hit parts of the states.

For the first time in 108 years, monsoon has hit the Capital this early. But though its onset has been premature, the rainfall has been very good this year and well distributed. Between June 1 and June 15, the overall rainfall across India has been 44% above normal. And in the northwestern zone, which includes Delhi, the overall rainfall has been 194% above normal during the same period.

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