New Delhi, Aug 10 - There will be 'fairly widespread rainfall' in many parts of India by Thursday, the Indian meteorological department said Monday.

Scanty rainfall has hit hard agricultural production. The paddy yield is the worst hit and its output is expected to decline by about 60 percent this year.

'The southwest monsoon activity is likely to improve over the country with increase in rainfall over the central and eastern India during the next three to five days,' the Met office said in a statement.

'The rainfall activity is also likely to increase over plains of northwest India and adjoining Rajasthan from Aug 13 onwards.

'Fairly widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy rainfall is likely over West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, east Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha.'