Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Agri sector to be back to normalcy in a monthedit
The Times of India – Online
Except for floriculture pockets of Hosur and parts of north-eastern Tamil Nadu, agriculture has bounced back in Tamil Nadu post-Covid imposed lockdown, says Tamil Nadu Agricultural University vice-chancellor N Kumar. In an interview to TOI, the VC, who was part of the C Rangarajan committee that recommended measures for revival of economic activity in the state, talks about the need for more mechanisation in the farming sector, use of disease-resistant crops, introduction of more technological innovations and getting farmers market-conscious. Q: How did Covid-19 impact agriculture?
The impact was felt only at the peak of lockdown. Our remote sensing technology found that 2 lakh hectares of standing crops — which includes sugarcane, maize and ...Govt. Policies
Agriculture reforms will connect farmers directly to market, send middlemen out of system: PMedit
The Times of India – Online
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the agriculture reforms introduced by the government will connect farmers directly to the market and “send middlemen out of the system”. “The agriculture reforms will give direct benefit to farmers. They will be directly connected to the market and the middleman will be out of the system. The farmers of Purvanchal (eastern Uttar Pradesh) will also be benefitted from this,” the prime minister said while launching various projects for his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi via video-conferencing. Highlighting various schemes launched by the government, Modi said under the Swamitva scheme, farmers will be issued property cards, which will not only help them get loans, but the “game of ...
Recent farm laws to take agriculture to new heights if implemented in right spirit: Niti memberedit
Outlook – Online
Asserting that three new agriculture-related legislations by the Centre are in keeping with the changing times, Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand has said that if they are implemented in the right spirit, they will take Indian agriculture to new heights.
In a paper titled ”New Firm Acts: Understanding the Implication”, Chand said the reforms have generated optimism for India to become a global power in agriculture and a powerhouse for global food supply.
“In a nutshell, the three policy reforms undertaken by the central government through the three new laws are in keeping with the changing times and requirements of farmers and farming.
“If they are implemented in the right spirit, they will take Indian agriculture ...
Stubble Burning
PM2.5 level nearly 7 times the safe limitedit
The Hindu – Online
The air quality of Delhi, Gurugram, and Noida worsened on Monday but continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category, according to data by the Central Pollution Board
The Capital’s air quality is likely to stay ‘severe’ on Tuesday with no quick recovery expected unless there is a “drastic reduction” in stubble burning in neighbouring States. It is expected to improve by Wednesday to ‘very poor’, said pollution-monitoring agency SAFAR.
The average 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday was 477 in Delhi, 482 in Gurugram and 477 in Noida. The AQI of Delhi and Noida was in the ‘severe’ category for the fifth straight day on Monday, and the third straight day in Gurugram.
Farm fires continue unabatededit
The Tribune – Online
Despite efforts to raise awareness not to burn stubble, farmers in the state continue to violate norms and are burning stubble, due to which the number of farm fires is increasing by the day.
Haryana has witnessed 7,712 cases of stubble burning this season between September 25 and November 8. On Sunday alone, 358 stubble-burning cases were reported across the state.
With 1,418 cases, Kaithal is leading the tally, followed by Fatehabad (1,260) and Karnal (1,020). Kurukshetra witnessed 831 cases, followed by Jind (816), Ambala (793), Yamunanagar (476), Sirsa (352), Hisar (241), Sonepat (127), Palwal (113), Panipat (80), Rohtak (79), Panchkula (33), Jhajjar (23), Bhiwani (17), Gurugram (8), Faridabad (8), Charkhi Dadri (5), Mahendragarh (4), Nuh ...
Pb farm fires have little impact on Delhi’s PM2.5 level: Studyedit
The Times of India – Online
Stubble burning in Punjab has an insignificant impact on the air quality of Delhi, the National Capital Territory (NCT), says a study carried out by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC). The study, conducted for over a month—October 8 to November 4—of stubble burning in the state this year, maintains that there has been no correlation between the rising level of PM2.5 in Delhi’s air and the stubble burning in Punjab.
Based on a comparison of the PRSC data on PM2.5 pollution in Delhi with the number of stubble burning cases in Punjab, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has stated that Delhi should check its own sources of pollution instead of blaming Punjab. ...Special teams to curb stubble burning in Kolkataedit
The Times of India – Online
To stop the nuisance of stubble burning, which is causing heavy air pollution across New Town, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has decided to form air pollution resistance groups. The authorities discussed the matter with all stakeholders and decided that the officials and security staff of Eco Park will co-ordinate with bird watchers, local NGOs, police and locals to check stubble burning. “If anybody notices attempts to burn stubble, s/he will pass on the details with photos for quick action,” said an official.
NKDA has also engaged youths with motorcycles as volunteers who will keep an eye on any such nuisance both during day and night. “They will try to identify ...‘Barter’ scheme to check stubble burning in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnaoedit
The Times of India – Online
The Unnao district administration has launched a unique barter scheme to find a permanent solution to the practice of stubble burning by farmers. “Under the scheme, the farmers will be provided one trolley of bio-fertiliser against the submission of two trolleys of stubble across 135 ‘gaushalas’,” district magistrate Ravindra Kumar informed TOI on Monday.
For over five years, burning rice stubble has caused severe air pollution in the region. Estimates show that 15-20 million tonnes of paddy stubble burnt in Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh emit PM2.5 that is 4-5 times more than the annual PM2.5 emissions from all vehicles plying in Delhi.