The uneven march of the southwest monsoon is once again exposing the fragility of rain-fed agriculture. The southwest monsoon has never been an equal-opportunity visitor. This year it has arrived with a familiar paradox. While Konkan, Mumbai and large parts of western Maharashtra have been inundated by torrential rain, Marathwada remains trapped in a frustrating cycle of scattered showers followed by long dry spells. For a region where agriculture depends overwhelmingly on th