Indian Agricultural: Growth, Generation, Policy & Problem Indian Agricultural | Page 48

Pg.no. 47
The retreating monsoon winds move over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and collect
moisture on the way. These monsoon winds reach the southern states of India by October, and are
responsible for a second round of rainfall. These are called the winter monsoons. The winter
monsoon is experienced in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh in the
first week of January.
Monsoon of South Asia
The monsoon of South Asia is among several geographically distributed global monsoons. It affects
the Indian subcontinent, where it is one of the oldest and most anticipated weather phenomena and
an economically important pattern every year from June through September, but it is only partly
understood and notoriously difficult to predict. Several theories have been proposed to explain the
origin, process, strength, variability, distribution, and general vagaries of the monsoon, but
understanding and predictability are still evolving.
The unique geographical features of the Indian subcontinent, along with associated atmospheric,
oceanic, and geophysical factors, influence the behavior of the monsoon. Because of its effect on
agriculture, on flora and fauna, and on the climates of nations such as India, Nepal, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka — among other economic, social, and environmental effects — the
monsoon is one of the most anticipated, tracked, and studied weather phenomena in the region. It
has a significant effect on the overall well-being of residents and has even been dubbed the "real
finance minister of India"
Climate of India
The Climate of India comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a vast geographic scale
and varied topography, making generalizations difficult. Based on the Köppen system, India hosts six
major climatic subtypes, ranging from arid desert in the west, alpine tundra and glaciers in the north,
and humid tropical regions supporting rainforests in the southwest and the island territories. Many
regions have starkly different microclimates. The country's meteorological department follows the
international standard of four climatological seasons with some local adjustments: winter (December,
January and February), summer (March, April and May), a monsoon rainy season (June to
September), and a post-monsoon period (October to November).
India's geography and geology are climatically pivotal: the Thar Desert in the northwest and the
Himalayas in the north work in tandem to affect a culturally and economically important monsoonal
regime. As Earth's highest and most massive mountain range, the Himalayas bar the influx of frigid
katabatic winds from the icy Tibetan Plateau and northerly Central Asia. Most of North India is thus
kept warm or is only mildly chilly or cold during winter; the same thermal dam keeps most regions in
India hot in summer.
Though the Tropic of Cancer—the boundary between the tropics and subtropics—passes through the
middle of India, the bulk of the country can be regarded as climatically tropical. As in much of the
Ramesh Kumar P