Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has directed all the central departments and ministries to work closely with states for tackling the drought like situation in the country due to a deficient monsoon.

According to the estimates by India's Meteorological Department, the rainfall during this year's monsoon season has been 22 per cent below long period average. The Met office data showed that rain deficiency in the Northwest region was 42 per cent, in west & central region it was 23 per cent, in South it is 22 per cent and in East and Northeast regions it is 7 per cent.

The low rainfall has depleted the level of water in Indian reservoirs to dangerously low levels and this could affect the winter sowing crops and could also result in a drinking water crisis by February. Many weather experts are comparing the matter to that in 2009, when India faced a devastating drought.

Even as the average estimate is 22 per cent below average rainfall, the rainfall has been 40 per cent below average in key crop-growing areas in the north and northwest. There are concerns over low rain fall in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Karnataka.

The Met office in a statement said that the rainfall deficiency said that the level of deficiency has come down from June but the spread and the intensity of rain will have to be studied carefully over the coming days.