Monsoon rains plentiful for fourth straight week

Monsoon rains were 44 per cent above average in the week to September 19, its weather office said, and were the best since June when the four-month rainy season made a poor start and went on to arouse concerns in the major agricultural producer.

It was the fourth consecutive week of plentiful rainfall. The shaky earlier progress of the June-to-September monsoon season led to fears of widespread drought, curbing the sowing of some summer-planted crops.