📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ministry of Home Affairs
Weather
IMD predicts prolonged dry spell across Gujarat
✍️ timesofindia.indiatimes.com
🗓 06 Oct 2026, 04:45 AM
👁 13
The Indian Meteorological Department has warned that the dry spell affecting Gujarat will persist in the coming weeks, raising concerns for agriculture and water resources.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a bulletin on Monday indicating that the current dry spell across Gujarat is expected to continue for the next several weeks. The forecast cites below‑normal rainfall and high temperatures as the main drivers of the prolonged dryness. IMD officials said that the region's monsoon onset could be delayed, further extending the arid conditions.
Farmers in key agricultural districts such as Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat are likely to face water stress, with irrigation reservoirs already at reduced levels. Crop sowing operations for kharif season may be hampered, prompting concerns among state agricultural authorities.
The Gujarat state government has urged the public to conserve water and has announced additional releases from the Narmada Canal to mitigate short‑term shortages. Officials also warned that prolonged dryness could increase the risk of forest fires in dry forested areas.
Historically, Gujarat experiences intermittent dry spells, but the current pattern aligns with a broader trend of delayed monsoon onset observed in recent years, underscoring the need for adaptive water‑management strategies.
Farmers in key agricultural districts such as Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat are likely to face water stress, with irrigation reservoirs already at reduced levels. Crop sowing operations for kharif season may be hampered, prompting concerns among state agricultural authorities.
The Gujarat state government has urged the public to conserve water and has announced additional releases from the Narmada Canal to mitigate short‑term shortages. Officials also warned that prolonged dryness could increase the risk of forest fires in dry forested areas.
Historically, Gujarat experiences intermittent dry spells, but the current pattern aligns with a broader trend of delayed monsoon onset observed in recent years, underscoring the need for adaptive water‑management strategies.