-The Indian Express We can add millions of hectares to irrigated land without building a single new Dam. We just need to adopt a different method of managing the water already stored in them. One of the drivers of India’s irrigation sector has been the construction of large Dams on our rivers, which Jawaharlal Nehru famously described as “the temples of modern India”. While these Dams have helped increase India’s irrigated...

-The New Indian Express The problem of farmer suicides has assumed a serious proporition. The toll is increasing year after year. According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), as many as 5,650 farmers committed suicide in India last year. This works out to one farmer suicide in every 100 villages or one farmer suicide in every block in the country last year. State-wise, Maharashtra accounted for the highest number of...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: A glut of fresh produce has brought down vegetable prices all over the city. Prices of lady's finger and beans dropped to Rs 40 a kg from Rs 60 while that of cabbage dipped to Rs 20 from Rs 30 in the retail market. The biggest drop is seen in the price of tomatoes, which now sell at Rs 18 a kg, down from last week's Rs...

-Odisha Sun Times Bhubaneswar: The depleting groundwater level in the Odisha capital has become a major cause of concern for planners. In the past five years, the groundwater level has shrunk by as much as  in major areas of the capital city, according to a survey. With monsoon playing truant, deficit rainfall and excessive drawing of ground water through bore wells in the absence of pipe water supply has contributed to groundwater depletion. Chandrasekharpur...

-The Times of India JAIPUR: Eight villages in the arid regions of western Rajasthan are fast progressing towards sustainable development by venturing into growing Shankhpushpi, a medicinal herb which is scientifically proven to enhance memory and brainpower. Situated in the arid region with annual rainfall less than sufficient even for one crop in a year, the farmers grows traditional crops Bajra, Guar and Moth that have less commodity value. Until recently, they...