-Outlook Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government's greenhouse farming initiative has proved to be ineffective as many farmers have incurred losses due to crop failure after adopting the method, according to Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS). According to BKS officials, Gujarat unit, almost 90 per cent crops cultivated under the greenhouses have failed in the northern parts of Gujarat. "To address the issue, we had held a meeting with more than 200 farmers, mostly from north...

-Down to Earth Close to 20 million people displaced or affected Since October 2013, when Phailin hit Odisha's coast, India has witnessed a series of extreme Weather events like cyclonic storms, cloudbursts, floods, droughts and hailstorms. These events not only destroyed lives and livelihood of people, but also caused a huge economic loss to the state and national economies. In the period between October 2013 and October 2014, floods in three states-Odisha, Assam...

-The Telegraph Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is worried about the safety of these "stubborn, independent and aggressive" denizens of the hills. Cyclone Hudhud could prove to be more aggressive. Special relief commissioner P.K. Mohapatra said the Bondas - a primitive tribe living in the Malkangiri forests that fall in the path of the approaching cyclone - have not experienced in the recent past such a storm that Weather officials said could pack...

-The Indian Express The Indian meteorological department (IMD) website states that Kautilya's Arthashastra contains records of rainfall and its impact on revenue, as well as details about relief work. Similarly, Kalidasa's Meghdoot, written around the seventh century, mentions the date of the onset of the monsoon and traces the path of monsoon clouds. Till today, forecasts are made on the same broad lines. Farmers like me still look towards indigenous knowledge for...

-The Economic Times Dinkar Patil, a farmer from Buldhana district in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, normally cultivates cotton on his 13-acre farm land. This year, however, he has skipped the cotton crop and opted for soyabean and tur dal. "The rainfall started late. I did not cultivate cotton because of the delayed rains and the huge increase in cost of cultivation of the crop," said Patil. He is expecting a fall of about...