-The Times of India BENGALURU: Karnataka has seen a poor monsoon so far, with two districts in the Cauvery basin receiving scanty rain. In 18 other districts, including Bengaluru Urban and Rural, it has been deficient. This makes the next 20 days crucial as they will decide whether the state can escape another drought year. On Monday, farmers from Halebudanuru village in Mandya district held a meeting with government officials demanding that...

-NDTV The Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu government to install a process by which farmers can report misbehavior by bank officials while trying to make them pay up. New Delhi: The government's job is to prevent farmers from committing suicide and not distribute compensation after they have died, the Supreme Court told Tamil Nadu in strong words today, asking it to ensure that no coercive action is taken against...

-Down to Earth New norms for declaring drought are too stringent to be practical and are indicative of Centre’s intention to pass on the financial burden to states Karnataka government has opposed Centre’s move to change parameters for drought assessment. The new manual for drought management limits Centre’s scope to offer financial assistance to states in the eventuality of drought. Unlike the 2009 manual for drought management—which was a mere guideline...

-Livemint.com Maharashtra’s capping of farm loan waiver will benefit farmers of drought-prone regions more than those in prosperous western, northern areas Mumbai: By capping the farm loan waiver at Rs1.5 lakh per farmer regardless of land holding, the Maharashtra government has ensured that farmers in the critically affected Marathwada and Vidarbha stand to gain more than those in the prosperous western and northern regions. Farm activists and at least one member of the...

-The Hindu Six months after Tamil Nadu was declared drought-hit, farmers across the Delta districts are no longer blaming Karnataka On June 12, the customary date on which the Mettur dam in Salem district is opened to provide water to the lower reaches of the Cauvery, the riverbed stretched as far as the eyes can see, barren as a desert. P. Ayyakannu, the farmer-leader who recently led a series of protests against...