Tamil Nadu: The north-east monsoon, 50 per cent in excess in the State, claims over 200 lives and destroys crops and infrastructure.A SERIES of weather systems, including a cyclone that missed Chennai narrowly, saw the skies open up over Tamil Nadu between November 4 and December 5, the period when the north-east monsoon is most active. Most of the 561 mm of rainfall that the State received between October 1...
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Indian delegation of NGOs has its say at Cancun
The team took part in side events, held ralliesAlso highlighted the significance of small-holderA delegation of non-government organisations assembled under the banner “Beyond Copenhagen” has returned here from Cancun, Mexico, after making interventions for bringing agricultural and food security issues to the mainstream climate negotiations at the 16 {+t} {+h} U.N. Climate Summit. The team took part in the side events, held rallies and lobbied with negotiators during the much...
More »Vidarbha farmer suicides still average over one a day by Sanjay Jog
Suicides of despairing farmers continue in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, despite the claimed implementation of the Rs 3,000-crore Prime Minister’s package and a Rs 1,000-crore package of the state government.Official data released last week show 45 suicides still take place every month. In the past 10 years, a total of 4,427 suicides took place in five districts. After an official loan-waiver scheme was supposed to have taken effect, 919...
More »TN rains claim 30 more lives, toll rises to 181
Heavy rains lashed the southern Tamil Nadu and Chennai claiming 30 more lives in the last three days. The death toll went up to 181 since October. Officials said most of the deaths were caused by wall collapses, floods, lightning and electrocution. Standing crops on more than 58,000 hectares have been spoilt and the damage to buildings, bridges and roads is to the tune of Rs 800 crore. Tamil Nadu...
More »Labour shortage in the fields drives farmers to tractors by Shally Seth
Pawan Goenka noticed something unusual last year—tractor sales were climbing even though India had its worst monsoon in more than three decades and farm output dropped 2.8% in the three months to December last fiscal. The umbilical cord that tied rainfall patterns and tractor sales seemed to have been ruptured. The president of auto and tractor maker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd offers an interesting explanation to this puzzle: growing labour shortages...
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