SRINAGAR: Three districts of Jammu and Kashmir recorded sizeable monsoon deficits in 2025, with Shopian receiving just 119.4 mm of rain against a normal 282.9 mm — a shortfall of 58 per cent — underscoring growing hydrological stress in parts of the Union territory, official India Meteorological Department data tabled in Parliament shows. Kishtwar and Kupwara were also in deficit, at 28 percent and 26 percent below their long period averages respectively.
The IMD’s district-level data, prepared for an answer in the Lok Sabha, identifies 146 districts nationwide that recorded deficient monsoon rainfall (defined as more than 20 percent below long period average) in 2025. While most of the country received a broadly normal monsoon, the distribution was uneven: northeast India and specific pockets elsewhere saw pronounced shortfalls, and Jammu and Kashmir figures among the Union territories with districts flagged for deficit rainfall. The data lists Kishtwar (309.8 mm actual v 432.1 mm normal, −28 per cent), Kupwara (185.4 mm v 251.5 mm, −26 per cent) and Shopian (119.4 mm v 282.9 mm, −58 per cent).
The IMD told Parliament the 2025 pattern was driven by the behaviour of synoptic systems over the Bay of Bengal and the position of the monsoon trough: numerous low-pressure systems tracked west-northwestwards, concentrating rainfall over central, peninsular and north-west India while the trough remained south of its climatological position for many days, leaving parts of the north east and select districts across the country drier than usual. The department emphasised that such spatial variability is a perennial feature of the southwest monsoon and that the IMD issues forecasts at multiple time scales, along with impact-based advisories for agriculture.
For Jammu and Kashmir the shortfalls carry practical consequences. Shopian and Kupwara are important horticultural districts in the Kashmir Valley; an acute deficit during the monsoon window can reduce soil moisture recharge, heighten irrigation demand later in the season and increase vulnerability of orchards and winter crops to moisture stress. Kishtwar, lying in the Jammu region, faces different cropping patterns and irrigation constraints; a near-30 percent shortfall there raises concerns for rabi sowing and fodder availability in marginal and rain-fed areas. These are plausible risks given the rainfall gaps, and they argue for targeted, district-level responses rather than broad, one-size-fits-all measures.
The IMD and the Ministry of Earth Sciences point to several operational instruments to reduce agricultural losses. The Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) and impact-based agrometeorological advisories provide location-specific guidance through mobile apps such as Meghdoot and Mausam, SMS via the Kisan Portal and integration with State IT platforms in regional languages. The department says these advisories are intended to help farmers time operations, adopt protective measures during extreme events and select resilient practices. The government also noted that central sector schemes operate uniformly and that direct central cash assistance for crop failure is managed through other institutional mechanisms rather than the meteorological department. -(KL)
