The torrential rain that the monsoon brings is a double-edged sword. While the flooding it brings is highly disruptive, it also supplies the water which will keep the country’s agricultural industry rolling along throughout the following 12 months.

This year’s monsoon is very close to the average in most states. Nevertheless, about 200 people have died in monsoon-related incidents in the last month, with nine people having died in landslides in the remote northeastern state of Manipur.