Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Monsoon Rains Start in India Earlier Than Expected

by VOA News

   India's annual monsoon rains have begun days ahead of schedule.

   The India Meteorological Department said the rains covered the whole
   country Sunday. Monsoon rains battered villages in northeast India in
   June, a government relief agency said on Friday.

   The "normal" date for the country-wide rains is July 8, according to
   weather forecasters.

   India depends on the heavy rains for crop production on the country's
   farms.

   Reuters reports that nearly half of India's farmland lacks irrigation.

   The monsoon also refill India's reservoirs and provide much needed
   relief from the summer heat.