Aghamiri is one of Iran's dozen or so remaining masters of the ancient art of Tazhib, which was inscribed last year on Unesco's list of intangible heritage
India is likely to receive above-average rainfall in July after receiving 11 per cent below average in June, the weather department said on Monday, keeping alive the possibility of higher farm output and economic growth in Asia's third-biggest economy.
All regions except northeastern states are likely to receive rainfall equating to more than 106 per cent of the 50-year average in July, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), told a virtual news conference.
Summer rains, critical for economic growth in Asia's third-largest economy, usually begin in the south around June 1 before spreading nationwide by July 8, allowing farmers to plant crops such as rice, cotton, soybeans and sugarcane.
The monsoon has covered nearly all parts of the country and will reach the remaining parts of the northern states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab in the next two to three days, ahead of the usual schedule, Mohapatra said.
In June India received 11 per cent less rain than the average, with all regions except the south receiving below-average rain after the monsoon lost momentum in mid-June.
A few states, such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the foothills of the Himalayas, are likely to receive heavy rainfall in July, which could lead to landslides and floods, Mohapatra said.
At least 11 people died in New Delhi because of sudden heavy rain last week while flight operations were disrupted in the Indian capital.
La Nina weather pattern is likely to develop during the second half of the monsoon season, which usually boosts rainfall, he added.
The lifeblood of the nearly $3.5 trillion economy, the monsoon brings nearly 70 per cent of the rain India needs to water farms and refill reservoirs and aquifers.
Without irrigation, nearly half of the farmland in the world's second-biggest producer of rice, wheat and sugar depends on the annual rains that usually run from June to September.
The planting of summer-sown crops was delayed in some states because of patchy rainfall, but the ongoing revival in rainfall will help farmers to accelerate the sowing of paddy, cotton, soybeans and sugarcane, said one Mumabi-based dealer with a global trade house.
Aghamiri is one of Iran's dozen or so remaining masters of the ancient art of Tazhib, which was inscribed last year on Unesco's list of intangible heritage
Some 180-plus candidates have confirmed they will not stand in Sunday's second-round for France's 577-seat national parliament, according to local media estimates
A look at what Britons feel about the party they support and their leaders days before the country goes to the polls
The leader started the penultimate day of campaigning before Thursday's vote in a vast Ocado warehouse in Luton, watching robots pick items for delivery
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing a rule to protect workers, that if finalised, would be the first-ever US safety standard on the matter
95 per cent of donations pledged were under $200, a point the campaign underscored to portray broad support from average Americans instead of over-reliance on high-dollar, wealthy donors
Around a third of food produced for human consumption gets lost or wasted globally, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation
The country is regularly exposed to tremors as it is located on the Pacific belt known as the Ring of Fire