Although a week long dry spell in north India indicates withdrawal of South West monsoon, the Met Department has yet not declared its retreat. IMD Director, B P Yadav told AIR that the South West Monsoon withdraws from North India after the first half of September, but there is no official declaration about this as of now. He, however, said that the overall rainfall deficit has widened this monsoon from 20 per cent to 21 per cent. While the North Western part of the country is facing a dry spell, the Met Department has predicted scattered or fairly widespread rain in North East and Peninsular India in the coming week. As on 16th September, 21 states and Union Territories remain rainfall-deficient, while 13 states have received normal rainfall and there is no state which has received excess rainfall as reported in the media, Mr. Yadav said.