What is normal rainfall? Why is it, sometimes, when officials say the country has had normal rainfall we still experience scarcity of water and bad crops? To know what normal rainfall means, we need to understand few things.

• For a farmer normal rainfall means sufficient water for harvesting and consumption till next monsoon. With multiple cropping and commercial farming, the need for water keeps increasing. And so for a farmer, a normal rainfall can actually mean insufficient water. 
• For the meteorological department normal rainfall is calculated on the basis of average rainfall over the last few years. Statistically, if average rainfall over the years declines, the normal rainfall is also pegged lower.
• Normal rainfall is also not a guarantee of a good crop. In fact, a good monsoon at the later stages of the season may actually destroy standing crops.
• If state has been declared to have had a normal rainfall, it does not mean that all districts have had good rainfall.