Southwest monsoon hits Odisha

Bhubaneswar, June 17 (IANS) The southwest monsoon hit Odisha Sunday after a week's delay, bringing rains to many parts of the state, an official of the local meteorological centre here said.

"The monsoon has set in over the state Sunday and covered several districts," A.K. Senapati, the official of the Bhubaneswar meteorological centre told IANS.

"It has covered all the districts except Jharsuguda, Sundergarh and some portions of the districts of Baragarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Keonjhar and Maurbhanj," he said.

"The conditions are favourable for further advance of the monsoon into remaining parts of the state during next 3 days," he added.

A good monsoon is crucial for the state which has an agrarian economy and about 73 percent of the work force engaged in the agriculture sector. Odisha contributes about one-tenth of the country's total rice production.

The monsoon normally reaches the state June 10.