Comment on the fact that the summer monsoon is both a blessing and a curse for the people of India​

For some that word means fleeing to drier, sunnier lands for the summer. For others, it inspires happiness as it means cooler weather and plentiful rain.

80% of India’s total rainfall takes place between June and September as the southwest monsoon moves across the country.

India is lucky to have such a season as it is not a global phenomenon, and it keeps the economy – still predominantly dependent on agriculture – going. But it can be a blessing and a curse. A bad monsoon can be interpreted negatively by foreign investors since the economy so heavily relies on agriculture and more than half of India’s population is employed by the sector.

Failed monsoons often lead to the reduction in ground water levels and major water bodies and reservoirs drying up – forcing cities into water crises – like what we saw this year in Chennai – and people to be dependent on water tank operators just to meet their daily water needs.

And while our water sources and agriculture benefit from the abundant rain, it can also cause hours of frustrating delays on waterlogged streets not built to manage the rivers flowing down them, potholes, and a lack of transportation as everyone scrambles for drier ways to get around the city. But those are just general inconveniences of the rainy season.

Recent rains brought chaos to Mumbai and life to a grinding halt. Trains stopped, flights were diverted, and more than 20 people died.