-The Business Standard Because the ecology of various regions differs, it is silly to club them all under one countrywide average number A whopping three-fourth of the country's geographic area is right now facing a rainfall deficit severe enough to warrant crisis management. The Indian Meteorological Department's data shows that 74% of India has so far recorded monsoon rainfall much below its normal levels. Of the 36 rainfall divisions that the...

-Outlook India To the social subsidy whiners, please check corporate write-offs column The TV anchor asked eagerly of Arun Jaitley whether he would take hard decisions or, in the case of a bad Drought, revert to loan waivers and (obviously wasteful) subsidies. The finance minister replied that it depended on the situation as it unfolded but he hoped he wouldn't have to return to such steps. "We hope so too," said...

-IANS Last year, the Bihar government declared 33 of the 38 districts Drought-hit due to a rainfall deficit of nearly 25% Patna: The fear of another Drought is giving sleepless nights to farmers in Bihar as an official said that if the state receives 19 percent less than normal rainfall till the end of this week, there could be a possibility of a Drought-like situation. Satender Singh and his co-villager Mahesh Mahto are...

-The New Indian Express SAMBALPUR: Farmers of Western Odisha are staring at a Drought like situation with the rain playing truant. The region has received less than 50 per cent (pc) rainfall in June and even this month, the rain pattern has been weak. Although low pressure induced rain in Western Odisha for a few days, it was scattered and not sufficient for agriculture. According to official reports, Sambalpur received 74.37 mm rainfall...

-Live Mint Experts are still convinced that this year will see a sub-par monsoon or, still worse, a Drought New Delhi: A weakening of the El Nino weather phenomenon and an expected recovery in monsoon rainfall in coming days may, to some extent, keep inflation at manageable levels and protect rural demand even as the government prepares to handle India's third Drought in 20 years. Experts are still convinced that this year...