-The Indian Express Punjab has not missed the monsoon. Despite rainfall being nearly 60 per cent deficient — there has been some this week — the paddy fields have remained lush green all through the season. But below, the water table in over 80 per cent of Punjab is depleting. Of 138 hydrogeological blocks, over 100 are listed as dark or grey zones due to over-exploitation of underground water, with the average...
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EGoM to consider raising MNREGA work days to 150 next week
-PTI Against the backdrop of drought in various parts of the country, a proposal to raise the number of assured employment days under MNREGA from 100 to 150 will be considered by an empowered group of ministers next week with an aim of benefitting the farm labour. "The proposal to increase work days under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREGA) scheme, will come up for discussion in the meeting of the...
More »How it prevents farmers from going to seed-PV Srividya
-The Hindu “Direct sowing is the way out in times of delayed water release and scarcity’’ As acres and acres of untilled land dot the tail-end of the Delta this year, there lays a tilled stretch of some 20 acres in Madapuram in Thiruthuraipoondi, bordering Nagapattinam, in the first and the only rains that lashed a few days ago. Seventy-six-year-old Oysul Karunai awaits the second spell to re-till his fields and broadcast the...
More »Farm loan target fixed at Rs 5.75 lakh crore: P Chidambaram
-PTI KARAIKUDI (TN): Disbursal of agricultural loans has been on the rise under the UPA regime and the target for this fiscal has been fixed at Rs 5.75 lakh crore, an increase of Rs 1,00,000 crore over the previous year, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said today. 'We have set a target of disbursing Rs 5,75,000 crore (loans) during this year (2012-13),' he said inaugurating the new building of Rural Training Centre...
More »The return of the rain
-The Business Standard Cautious optimism about the revival of the monsoon A progressive improvement in the monsoon, after a dismal June that saw rainfall deficient by over 30 per cent, has eased some worries over kharif crop production. Since then the rainfall deficit has been halved to 15 per cent, dispelling fears of a situation as bad as in 2009, when severe drought lowered foodgrain production by seven per cent. In addition,...
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