-The Hindu ‘Merchants say they have no cash. They offer low prices [for the paddy crop], which is unviable.’ BARABANKI (Uttar Pradesh): The little makeshift kiosks that dot Baruwanarendrapur’s rustic landscape, supplying it rations and other daily items, have not opened since November 9. The next nearest supply point is at Ramnagar Kasba, a good 10 km away, entailing an excruciating wait at the railway crossing on the route. Holi Gautam, a Dalit...
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The tragedy of the commons -Neha Sinha
-The Hindu The only way out for public policy for environmental damage is to place strong emphasis on individual and social cost of inaction Residents in the already polluted Capital experienced something of a turning point on Diwali. The belaboured, particulate-loaded air was further bombed with firecrackers. Some described the scene as a war zone with active shelling. People were angry not only because they could not physically breathe, but also because...
More »Cash Crunch In Marathwada Village: In year of good yield, currency ban hits crop prices -Parthasarathi Biswas
-The Indian Express The State Bank of India, Maharashtra Gramin Bank and Nanded District Cooperative Bank have branches in Malegaon. But only the SBI and Gramin Bank branches are dispensing cash. Malegaon (Nanded): The family of Pralhad Ingole, a farmer who owns about 6 acre of land, is struggling in the absence of cash. The lone ATM in their village of Malegaon in Nanded district, operated by the State Bank of...
More »Agriculture and Pollution: Tackling a burning problem with technology -Divya Goyal & Anju Agnihotri Chaba
-The Indian Express The poor adoption of a machine that can help avoid paddy stubble burning is an example of policy failure. Jalandhar/ Ludhiana: There is virtual unanimity — at least among scientists and aware farmers — that the ultimate solution to the recurrent problem of paddy stubble burning at this time of the year lies in the ‘Happy Seeder’ developed by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in 2002. But more than...
More »Straws in the wind -Elumalai Kannan
-The Hindu Paddy stubble, unlike wheat residue, isn’t valuable animal feed. Incentivising biomass-based power plants in Punjab and Haryana will help north India breathe easier. Delhi has registered its worst air quality in recent times. This has prompted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to call it a “gas chamber”. Pollution in different parts of the capital has touched hazardous levels with potentially serious health effects on the rich and poor alike, especially on...
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