Media Monitor
Dams and Indian Agriculture
Andhra Pradesh floods: The dam that became the sorrow of thousands of villagersedit
India TV – Online
The Annamayya project on Cheyyeru river has turned out to be the sorrow of many a village in Rajampet Assembly constituency in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Togurupeta, Mandapalli, Pulapathur and Gundlur presented a picture of haunted villages in the wake of the devastation. The flash flood caused due to a breach of the project’s earthen bund caught at least 18 people in a watery grave and left many others missing in these villages. A sudden gush of about two lakh cusecs of floodwater on Friday, with the level reaching up to 10 feet height, caught the villagers unawares and scampering for their lives. Tens of houses in these villages downstream the project were reduced ...
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
Central team to assess rain damages in Pondyedit
Mint – Online
An inter ministerial central team would assess the damages the recent torrential rain caused in farm and other sectors in Puducherry during its visit here on Monday. Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister N Rangasamy had appealed to the Centre to depute a central team to the union territory when it visits neighbouring Tamil Nadu since Sunday. After visiting the rain ravaged areas in Tamil Nadu, the team would arrive at Puducherry and visit the rain hit areas here between 4.15 pm and 6.30 pm and would also hold meetings with Lt Governor and Chief Minister, official sources said. The CM had said he had pleaded with the Centre to earmark interim relief to the ...
Pain of excess rain: Crop loss and price riseedit
The New Indian Express – Online
With the continuous rain breaking all seasonal records in October-November by 51 per cent, Karnataka is suffering major crop damage, threatening to push up prices of vegetables and food grains and making life even more difficult for people. According to the latest Meteorological Centre data records, Karnataka received 97 per cent excess cumulative seasonal rainfall in October-November – 324.1 mm against the normal of 164.9 mm. South-interior Karnataka received 147 per cent excess rain (452.5 mm against normal of 182.9 mm), coastal Karnataka 104 per cent (483.2 mm against normal of 236.8 mm), and north-interior Karnataka received 8 per cent excess rain (136.7 mm against normal of 127 mm). And it has ...
Paddy in India
Basmati Paddy: The arrival of basmati paddy decreased in the grain markets of Kurukshetra, the price increasededit
Jagran – Online
As the arrival of Basmati paddy in the grain markets of Kurukshetra has reduced, now its prices have increased. Basmati prices were running in the range of Rs 3400 to 3900 for the last 20 days. Now on Friday and Saturday, its prices have suddenly jumped from 200 to 300 rupees. With the rise in the prices of Basmati, it is expected that there will be some increase in its arrivals on Monday. However, this year, the area under Basmati across the district has been less than last year by about 35 percent. It is worth mentioning that the paddy crop is planted in one lakh 12 thousand hectares across the district. Last year, out ...
Paddy Purchase: Paddy procurement sluggish, farmers upset for sacks in Prayagrajedit
Jagran – Online
On the orders of the government, the purchase of paddy in paper is going on since November 1. But at dozens of purchasing centers, only the scales of the scales are hanging in the name of purchase. Farmers are neither getting sacks nor buying. Twenty days have passed since the purchase started. In such a situation, how will the target set by the government be fulfilled? Officials are also silent when paddy procurement is slow. Farmers say that tokens are not being received. Due to the strike of the rice mill owners, the purchasing centers are also not showing speed. Purchase has not started at five paddy purchasing centers in Ladiyari Bazar. Whereas against the target of ...
KCR to take paddy battle to Delhiedit
The Hans India – Online
Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao along with MPs, Ministers, and officials would be going to Delhi once again to seek clarity on the issue of paddy purchase during ongoing kharif season. Based on the response from the Centre, the State Government would announce its policy on the alternative crops to farmers. The chief minister on Saturday said, if possible, would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ask him to withdraw all cases that were filed against the farmers who have been protesting for over an year and pay a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to each of those who died there. KCR said the TRS government on its part has decided to give ...
Stubble Burning
View: Stubble-burning is not an insignificant source of pollution, and a ‘simple’ solution existsedit
The Economic Times – Online
Last Monday, GoI informed the Supreme Court that stubble-burning contributes only 4-10% of Delhi’s air pollution and is not a significant source of pollution. But was that assertion correct? The answer depends on how the data is interpreted. If the annual average data is considered, as GoI did in its affidavit, the contribution of stubble-burning amounts to less than 10% and can be regarded as insignificant. However, if we consider the days, weeks and months when stubble is burnt, their contribution is very high. For instance, GoI’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data shows that on November 7, 48% of PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 ...
Area on which farmers burnt stubble reduces 22%; no fall in number of casesedit
Hindustan Times – Online
Even as the number of stubble burning cases in Punjab shave touched 71,000-odd, the second-highest figure over the past five years, data with the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) shows that the polluting activity actually occurred on 22% lower area of agricultural land compared to the last year. Till November 15, paddy stubble was burnt in 12.9 lakh hectare of agricultural area; last year, the area where stubble was burnt was 16.5 lakh hectare, so a reduction of 22% has been seen. The PPCB and the state agriculture department claim that reduction in burnt area is result of their efforts to create awareness among farmers, and the machinery provided to them over the past ...
Punjab: Stubble burning cases below 300edit
The Times of India – Online
With 283 crop residue burning cases detected in Punjab on Saturday, the total count reached 70,856. Muktsar recorded the maximum crop residue burning events at 53, followed by 50 at Fazilka. All other districts recorded less than 50 stubble burning cases. Overall, Sangrur has recorded 7,991 cases so far, followed by 6,491 at Moga, 6,254 at Ferozepur, 5,794 at Ludhiana, and 5,337 at Patiala. Other districts recorded less than 5,000 cases. Pathankot recorded lowest number of cases at only six. Against 283 stubble burning cases on Saturday, 1,036 burning cases were recorded on November 20 in 2019, and 644 in year 2020. Against 70,856 burning cases till November 20 this year, the ...