Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday reviewed the country’s preparedness for possible drought conditions arising from below-normal rainfall and directed all concerned ministries to remain vigilant as the southwest monsoon continues to record a significant rainfall deficit.

During a review meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and senior government officials, Shah said the Centre is continuously monitoring the evolving situation linked to weak monsoon conditions and the potential impact of El Nino in several parts of the country.

Ministries told to coordinate with states

According to an official statement, the home minister instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and other concerned departments to work closely with state governments and provide farmers with guidance on crops suitable for sowing under below-normal rainfall conditions.

He also directed the Department of Water Resources to closely monitor water levels in reservoirs across the country and stressed the importance of promoting alternative crops that require less water, including fodder, millets and pulses.

Shah further instructed the Union Ministry of Power to ensure an uninterrupted and adequate electricity supply to meet any emerging challenges during the season.

Officials informed the meeting that sufficient stocks of essential food grains are available across the country and that the prices of essential commodities remain stable.

June records sharp rainfall deficit

India witnessed an overall rainfall deficit of nearly 40 per cent during June, with Central India recording the largest shortfall of 50.4 per cent. The country received only 99.5 mm of rainfall during the month, making it the fifth-lowest June rainfall since 1901.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also forecast below-normal rainfall across the country during July, raising concerns over water availability and agricultural activity.

Senior officials from the ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Power, Science and Technology, along with the Union Home Secretary and Agriculture Secretary, attended the review meeting.

Central teams to assess flood damage in Northeast

Apart from reviewing drought preparedness, Shah directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to send an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to assess damage caused by recent heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides.

The assessment will examine losses to infrastructure, agriculture and residential areas after flooding affected several districts in Assam while landslides disrupted transport and damaged infrastructure in parts of Arunachal Pradesh.

El Nino expected to strengthen during monsoon

Officials informed the meeting that El Nino conditions are currently prevailing over the equatorial Pacific Ocean and are likely to strengthen further during the June-September monsoon season.

El Nino is one of the three phases of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate pattern driven by changes in sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. It is generally associated with weaker monsoon rainfall over India and higher global temperatures.

The opposite phase, La Nina, typically supports better monsoon rainfall and has a cooling influence, while ENSO also has a neutral phase. Current Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions remain neutral, limiting their ability to offset the adverse effects of El Nino on India’s monsoon.

Ayodhya Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Mandir has estimated that between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 8 lakh may have been diverted every day before the suspected fraud was uncovered.

According to information gathered during the investigation, officials associated with the bank handling the temple’s donations informed the SIT that the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust previously received around Rs 16-18 lakh in daily cash donations. After the alleged irregularities surfaced, the daily collections reportedly increased to Rs 24-26 lakh, leading investigators to suspect that a substantial portion of donations had been siphoned off earlier.

Cash counting process under investigation

The SIT is examining the mechanism used for counting donations at the temple. Cash offered by devotees is collected from four donation boxes, with the counting process supervised by State Bank of India (SBI) through a private agency.

A 14-member team carries out the counting, comprising 11 bank personnel and three representatives of the temple trust. Investigators are now reviewing whether established procedures were followed and whether any lapses enabled the alleged diversion of funds.

Police are also preparing to approach the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate the financial trail and related monetary transactions in greater detail.

Role of former bank employee

Retired bank employee Subhash Srivastava, who allegedly supervised the counting process, remains a key accused in the case. Investigators say his responsibilities included transporting cash from the donation boxes to the counting room before handing it over to the bank.

According to sources cited during the investigation, the theft was first reported in February when a member of the counting team allegedly informed Srivastava that cash was being stolen during counting. He is accused of responding that “God is watching,” suggesting that the matter did not require immediate concern.

Police have so far arrested eight accused, including Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Tinnu Yadav, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra.

Investigators have also noted that jewellery donations were allegedly not maintained under a systematic record, making them vulnerable to theft.

Bank officials questioned over procedures

The SIT questioned bank employees involved in the donation counting process and sought explanations regarding alleged deviations from the agreement between the trust and the bank.

Officials were asked why prescribed procedures were reportedly altered, why suspected irregularities were not escalated to senior authorities, and why a private security agency entrusted with security-related responsibilities was allegedly allowed to participate in cash counting.

The SIT is expected to assess the role of bank personnel in its final report, after which further action may be considered.

Money allegedly shared near temple

During interrogation, accused Avinash Shukla allegedly told investigators that the stolen cash was divided among the accused at a park near Bhikapur on the 14 Koshi Parikrama route. Police visited the location as part of the ongoing investigation.

Trust officials questioned again

The SIT also questioned Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustees Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao for a second time.

According to the information provided, all three have resigned from their trust posts following the emergence of the allegations.

Investigators sought details of their movable and immovable assets, income sources and supporting property documents. The probe is also examining allegations related to commissions during temple construction and land purchases, along with claims that certain individuals received undue benefits.

Officials have additionally sought information regarding the reported increase in the assets of Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao in recent years, including details related to Anil Mishra’s new residence and financial resources.

As part of the wider investigation, the SIT has called for the trust’s annual audit reports, financial records and other key documents. According to sources, investigators are also considering a fresh audit of the trust’s financial records.

India on Friday reaffirmed that its decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance remains unchanged, stating that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism.

Responding to recent statements from Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India’s position on the water-sharing agreement continues to be consistent.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the treaty was placed in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism.

“India’s position on the Indus Waters Treaty is consistent. IWT stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan must credibly and irrevocably abjure its support for cross-border terrorism,” Jaiswal said during a media briefing.

Treaty kept in abeyance after Pahalgam terror attack

India decided to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the April 2025 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 tourists were killed.

According to the government, Pakistan has since attempted to convince the international community that India’s move could set a concerning precedent for countries sharing transboundary rivers. India, however, maintained that its position remains unchanged.

Pakistan reiterates treaty remains valid

Earlier this week, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad rejected India’s decision to keep the treaty in abeyance, asserting that the agreement remained “valid, binding and operative.”

During the same event, former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari referred to a possible “nuclear option” if efforts to restore the treaty failed. His remarks have drawn criticism from some strategic experts, who described the statement as irresponsible.

India reiterates legal position

India has previously maintained that while the treaty remains in abeyance, it is not obligated to fulfil its commitments under the agreement.

In June 2025, the MEA also stated that no court of arbitration, including what it described as an illegally constituted arbitral body, had jurisdiction to examine India’s actions taken in exercise of its sovereign rights.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960 after nine years of negotiations. It governs the sharing and use of the Indus river system between the two countries.

India also condemns Pakistan’s strikes in Afghanistan

During the same media briefing, Randhir Jaiswal also reiterated India’s condemnation of Pakistani military airstrikes in Afghanistan that reportedly caused civilian casualties, including women and children.

He said India had expressed condolences for the loss of lives and reaffirmed its support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Separately, India and Japan, following bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, issued a joint statement condemning cross-border terrorism and calling for stronger international action against terror safe havens and financing networks.