Monsoon on schedule despite Laila: IMD

Southwest monsoon, crucial for India's agriculture sector and the overall economic prosperity, remains on track to hit Kerala on the southern coast in the next 3-4 days despite the tropical cyclone Laila. Earlier, there were fears that monsoon may get delayed owing to Laila. "Conditions are becoming favourable for onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala during next three days," the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Separately, an IMD official was quoted as saying that Kerala will not receive monsoon showers before June 2 as against the original prediction of May 30. Monsoon current has not advanced for the past six days after reaching the Andaman & Nicobar islands three days earlier than normal, D. Sivananda Pai, director of the National Climate Center at Pune, said. "Monsoon winds were weak, and may need up to two days to strengthen," Pai said. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands received the first monsoon showers on May 17, two days ahead of schedule, before moving to many parts of the Bay of Bengal in the following week. The progress has been slow since then due to cyclone Laila.