Below normal rain in Punjab and Haryana

Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana received just around half the normal rainfall this monsoon season. But more worryingly, this year's rain deficit is not an isolated event. The two key agricultural states have been getting below par rainfall for the past 16 years. Met department figures reveal Punjab has seen above normal monsoon rainfall in just two years since 1999. The last time that happened was seven monsoons ago, in 2008.The status are similar for Haryana, where rains have been above normal in just four of the last 16 monsoons. Experts are divided over why rains have been consistently failing in the region but the trend has dire implications for agriculture, which relies heavily on groundwater. The two states are among the most exploited regions in the world for groundwater.