ID :
67540
Wed, 06/24/2009 - 17:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/67540
The shortlink copeid
MISSING MONSOON WORRIES INDIA
P.VIJIAN
NEW DELHI, June 24 (Bernama) -- With the much-awaited monsoon continuing to play truant, Indian farmers and policy makers are in a tizzy over the missing rain, as it could spell serious social-political chaos in the coming months.
As the June monsoon is expected to be delayed -- food shortage, water
scarcity, failing of crops and farmers' suicide -- are the foremost concerns in
India now -- where nearly 60 percent of the population are still agrarian based.
"Three cotton farmers have committed suicide in the last three days in west
Vidarbah because of debts. Their crops have failed because there is no rain and
they have no money to replant. The ground situation is bad, ground water level
is very deep," Kishor Tiwari, leader of the farmers advocacy group, called
Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti told Bernama Wednesday.
An estimated two million cotton farmers live in Vidarbha, located in the
central state of Maharashtra, known for high suicide rates among farmers, where
three suicides take places in a single day.
The rising mercury continue to swelter central and north India, with
temperature crossing 47 degrees Celsius in the upper region -- which is the
nation's food production belt and home to thousands of Indian farmers.
"If the monsoon is delayed for another fortnight, there will be adverse
impact on crop production. Certain crop productivity, like pulses which depend
on the monsoon will fall between 10 and 20 percent. Food prices will surely
increase," warns Dr I.P.S Ahlawat, head of the Agronomy Division of the Indian
Agriculture Research Institute.
Major crops like paddy is likely to suffer the most due to water scarcity as
famers would find it hard to transplant the crop in major rice producing states
like Punjab and Haryana, he added.
There is no respite and the heat wave this summer continues to take its toll
and at least 56 people have died in the eastern state of Orissa.
But religious-conscious Indians are not giving up with nature. In several
states special prayers were held to please the rain Gods.
In Madhya Pradesh the state government organised the "Som Yagnas" (fire
rituals) while in Guwahati, capital of Assam, a group of locals solemnised frog
marriage hoping the rain would arrive soon.
--BERNAMA
NEW DELHI, June 24 (Bernama) -- With the much-awaited monsoon continuing to play truant, Indian farmers and policy makers are in a tizzy over the missing rain, as it could spell serious social-political chaos in the coming months.
As the June monsoon is expected to be delayed -- food shortage, water
scarcity, failing of crops and farmers' suicide -- are the foremost concerns in
India now -- where nearly 60 percent of the population are still agrarian based.
"Three cotton farmers have committed suicide in the last three days in west
Vidarbah because of debts. Their crops have failed because there is no rain and
they have no money to replant. The ground situation is bad, ground water level
is very deep," Kishor Tiwari, leader of the farmers advocacy group, called
Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti told Bernama Wednesday.
An estimated two million cotton farmers live in Vidarbha, located in the
central state of Maharashtra, known for high suicide rates among farmers, where
three suicides take places in a single day.
The rising mercury continue to swelter central and north India, with
temperature crossing 47 degrees Celsius in the upper region -- which is the
nation's food production belt and home to thousands of Indian farmers.
"If the monsoon is delayed for another fortnight, there will be adverse
impact on crop production. Certain crop productivity, like pulses which depend
on the monsoon will fall between 10 and 20 percent. Food prices will surely
increase," warns Dr I.P.S Ahlawat, head of the Agronomy Division of the Indian
Agriculture Research Institute.
Major crops like paddy is likely to suffer the most due to water scarcity as
famers would find it hard to transplant the crop in major rice producing states
like Punjab and Haryana, he added.
There is no respite and the heat wave this summer continues to take its toll
and at least 56 people have died in the eastern state of Orissa.
But religious-conscious Indians are not giving up with nature. In several
states special prayers were held to please the rain Gods.
In Madhya Pradesh the state government organised the "Som Yagnas" (fire
rituals) while in Guwahati, capital of Assam, a group of locals solemnised frog
marriage hoping the rain would arrive soon.
--BERNAMA
