Officials agree that the weak monsoons, 36 percent below normal in Northwest regions, are already having a negative effect on the overall economy, with prices of basic food items skyrocketing.
Though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already stated that there are enough food reserves to stave off widespread hunger, this does little to reassure farmers who depend on the rain for their livelihood, like Shree Ram Reddy in Srinivaspur, Kolar, Karataka.
The farmers in his district depend on bore wells for irrigation. Sixty percent of the wells have dried up, and all the tanks are empty. "The rain here has been untimely," he said. "When the seeds were sown and we most needed the rains, the rains did not come. But two months later there were rains which caused some losses."
As a result of the weak rain, inflation shot up to 4.8 percent in November, an increase from 1.3 percent in October. Food costs went up by 19 percent, creating major hardship for citizens. What used to cost $1 for dal, a food staple, now costs $2. Prices of other food items, like sugar, have also gone up.
The government is trying to help with a scheme that gives jobs to farmers who have lost their livelihoods, but the uptake so far hasn't been great.
Reddy's production is down 50 percent, and he and his neighbors are feeling the hurt. "There is a financial crisis as well for the farmers. Overall the situation is very bad."
Alongside this are estimates that India wastes around $50 billion worth of grains every year due to lack of post-harvest infrastructure, like appropriate storage facilities.
Loading
Click Here to Subscribe For FREE SMS Alerts on Disaster Awareness
OR SEND SMS " ON DISASTERAWARENESS " TO 9870807070
OR SEND SMS " ON DISASTERAWARENESS " TO 9870807070
Refresher Training of CERT by FOCUS
Friday, December 18, 2009
India:Worst Drought in 40 Years Hurts Indian Farmers
Monsoons, though they can be potentially destructive, are welcomed in India to sustain the economy. Farmers rely on the rains to irrigate the land, while much of India's electricity is generated by water power provided by the monsoons rains.
Posted by Unknown at 8:00 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts
-
It's the "transition period" that is causing a stink in three wards in the city: N (Ghatkopar), S (Bhandup) and T (Mulund). Wi...
-
Mumbai: Climate change and reckless development are leaving Mumbai increasingly vulnerable to the elements. A news report on an ongoing clim...
-
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's ( BMC ) shoddy job with paver blocks has not only dotted Mumbai's streets w...
-
With the m o n - soon at t h e d o o rs t e p, Mumbaikars must brace for yet another season of contaminated water. Despite assuranc...
-
DETHRONING TOILET SEAT London: The toilet seat is believed to be the dirtiest item in the average household, but scientists say the filt...
-
IMPORTANT A stock clerk was sent to clean up a storeroom in Maui, Hawaii. When he got back, he was complaining that the storeroom was really...
-
In a pro-people move, the state government is accepting requests from big housing societies and corporate houses to set up unique identi...
-
New Delhi: Indian women can live 10 years longer if they quit smoking before their 40th birthday. The largest-ever study on hazards of smoki...
-
Cultural programme Generating awareness on disaster management Aminul Islam, Mymensingh Children participate at the art ...
-
Disaster cover for D-day 29 Sep 2007, 0046 hrs IST , TNN BANGALORE: It's finally happening. On Saturday, when around 55,000 ...
Disaster Management In India on Dipity.
Slide Presentation
TO GET FREE ALERTS ON MOBILE SEND SMS " ON DISASTERAWARENESS" TO 9870807070
Custom Search
0 comments:
Post a Comment