Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a meeting of environment ministers of Indian states on Tuesday, 18 August 2009 said that the country was facing a drought threat. Poor to scanty monsoon is hurting crops and triggering a sharp rise in food prices, Manmohan Singh said.
The cumulative seasonal rainfall for the country as a whole during 1 June to 09 August 2009 has been 28% below the Long Period Average (LPA), the India Meteorological Department said in its press release on 10 August 2009.
Out of 36 meteorological sub-divisions, the cumulative rainfall during 1 June to 09 August has been excess/normal over 9 and deficient over 24 and scanty over three (West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi and Telengana) sub-divisions.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had on 11 August 2009 declared 161 districts out of total 604 drought-prone.