The consequences of the dry spell, now into the third week of July, are beginning to tell. States like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, UP, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are already facing drought-like conditions and have been put under the Union agriculture ministry's watch-list for perceived threat to the kharif crop. Water levels in most of the 70 reservoirs across the country have fallen far below the average for the corresponding period in the last decade. Further, the recharging of surface and ground water has also been adversely affected.
The poor monsoon won't immediately impact the foodgrains scenario since the FCI godowns are overflowing, but a severe drought could have far-reaching impact on the economy. Some areas of concern are:
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The Elusive Monsoon 
