-The Hindu Malnutrition deaths were reported from Bandapani in July West Bengal: Intervening in sick tea gardens of the State for the first time, the Government of West Bengal has taken over the Bandapani Tea garden located in the Madarihaat block of Alipurduar district in West Bengal, and put up a notice on the gate that the land belongs to the State government. The tea garden has been closed since July 2013. When...

-IANS Barmer (Rajasthan): Drought-like conditions are forcing villagers residing along the India-Pakistan border in the desert state of Rajasthan to migrate in search of greener pastures. If local NGOs are to be believed, over 100 villages situated in Barmer district are facing a severe water and fodder crisis. "Much of the population living in this part of the state is dependent on animal husbandry. With no water for them to drink, forget...

-CNN-IBN Hyderabad: Aiming to leverage the power of technology, the Andhra Pradesh government has launched a web portal to collate and analyse data on the damages caused by the devastating cyclone Hudhud in coastal Andhra. The portal www.hudhud.ap.gov.in will facilitate collation and analysis of damages and it will be used by all government departments, government officials said in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The portal connects to the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) website...

-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...