New Delhi, July 15 -- India has sharply narrowed much of its monsoon rainfall deficit after heavy showers in early July, easing fears triggered by one of the weakest starts to the season in years. But with rainfall still uneven and the crucial kharif sowing window far from over, policymakers and farmers are not breathing easy yet.

The cumulative shortfall in rainfall eased to 19.3% during 1 June-13 July from 38% at the end of June, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. However, the improvement was uneven, with east and northeast India still reporting a 35.5% deficit, followed by the south peninsula (21.5%), northwest (11.9%) and central India (8.5%).







India typically receives about 32% of its seasonal monsoon rai...