While challenges remain, the entire system has been activated in advance and is working proactively to mitigate potential disruptions, according to an official government statement.

Addressing the media in New Delhi after a high-level review meeting, Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the monsoon situation had improved in July after a weak start to the season.

He noted that after recording a 33 per cent rainfall deficit in June, the overall shortfall has narrowed to 24 per cent.

Several parts of the country have received good rainfall in recent days, leading to a reduction in the number of rainfall-deficient districts from 262 to 178, he said.

The Centre is closely monitoring the situation in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha.

Expressing optimism, Chouhan said rainfall is expected to gain further momentum during July, accelerating Kharif sowing across the country.

Kharif sowing lags behind last year

The minister said Kharif sowing has so far been completed over 350.85 lakh hectares, around 91.95 lakh hectares lower than the corresponding period last year.

He said the delayed onset of the monsoon has particularly affected soybean and cotton cultivation.

To minimise losses, farmers have been advised to shift to short-duration and less water-intensive crops such as maize, bajra and moong.

Preparations began in April

Chouhan said the government began preparing for a possible El Niño-induced disruption as early as April.

In collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), district-level contingency plans were prepared for vulnerable regions and shared with state governments well in advance.

As part of the 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' conducted in June, more than 1.24 lakh programmes were organised nationwide, reaching over 80 lakh farmers.

To ensure uninterrupted sowing operations, the Centre has maintained a national seed reserve of about 1.75 lakh quintals, ensuring adequate availability under all circumstances.

The minister also said the Kisan Credit Card campaign has been intensified. Of the 1.14 lakh applications received by June 30, more than 94,000 have already been approved.

He added that efforts are also being stepped up to increase enrolment under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to provide financial protection to farmers against crop losses caused by adverse weather.

Government monitoring El Niño round the clock

Highlighting the government's preparedness, Chouhan said multiple monitoring mechanisms have been activated in anticipation of El Niño.

These include the El Niño Monitoring Cell, the Crop Weather Watch Group, state-level control rooms and designated officers, all of which are continuously tracking monsoon progress, crop sowing, crop conditions and market trends.

"The government is not only closely monitoring the evolving situation but is fully equipped to tackle every challenge through well-defined processes, adequate resources and timely interventions, ensuring farmers receive all necessary support during the Kharif season," he said.

WMO warns of stronger El Niño, rising global temperatures

Last week, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned that strengthening El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific are likely to trigger more intense heatwaves and extreme weather events worldwide in the coming months.

"El Niño will also give an extra boost to global temperatures," said WMO scientist Alvaro Silva.

"We know that during El Niño years, global temperatures normally reach record levels," he said.

According to the WMO's Global Seasonal Climate Update, strong El Niño conditions are expected to develop rapidly between July and September, with high confidence in the forecast.

The outlook is based on multi-model forecasts indicating significant warming across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, with average sea-surface temperature anomalies expected to exceed 2°C in monitored regions.

Extreme weather likely across several regions

The WMO also warned of significant regional climate impacts.

Spokesperson Clare Nullis said Europe had already witnessed record-breaking temperatures in June, with Germany recording a new national temperature record of 41.7°C.

The agency also highlighted a prolonged and dangerous heatwave across the central and eastern United States, while forecasting drier-than-average conditions across Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of North and South America.

Drier weather is also expected across Indonesia and parts of Southeast Asia during the monsoon season.

In contrast, East Africa is likely to experience above-normal rainfall between September and December, raising the risk of flooding, partly due to the possible development of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole.

The WMO said the El Niño alert has triggered an "unprecedented mobilisation" of the organisation, its member states and regional climate centres to provide timely forecasts aimed at protecting lives and livelihoods.