-The Times of India   NEW DELHI: Anticipating a drought like situation in some parts of the country due to expected less rainfall and shortage of drinking water, particularly in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Centre has asked the states sought detailed information from state governments. They have been asked to submit a detailed contingency plans including identifying new borewells and open wells, high yielding agricultural bore wells for hiring and possibility of transporting...

-The Hindu Business Line Farmers in Maharashtra are struggling to cope with losses from last month's hailstorm. Satyanarayan Iyer, who travelled extensively through the affected areas, chronicles the region's woe. Shanta Jadhav will never forget that day. It was March 8, a Saturday. The 70-year-old and her husband were in their small hut in Balamthakli village in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra. At 6.30 in the evening, they were startled by a loud thud,...

-Tehelka If a house can be insured against natural disaster, why can't a crop field? There is nothing more gruesome for any farmer than to see before his own eyes his lush green standing crop flattened by the vagaries of nature. All his hopes and aspirations from a bountiful harvest are grounded in a matter of few minutes. Not only the crop, but his life too is flattened. As many as 24...

-The Indian Express Farmers in worst-hit Beed had hoped that a good harvest this year would help them repay loans. Beed (Maharashtra): Radhabai, a 30-year-old daily wager from Ekdara village of Beed district, was plucking cotton on March 8 when the overcast sky opened up. Heavy rain with tennis ball-sized hailstones forced her to take shelter under a tree. "Heavy wind dislodged a branch of the tree that fell on her head....

-Outlook Yavatmal (Maharashtra): Untimely rain and hailstorm destroyed crops and orchards spread over 90,000 hectares in Yavatmal district in the last fortnight, official sources said. Crop of wheat and gram on 87,881 hectare of land was wiped out, while vegetables spread over 1,036 hectares was destroyed, sources in the Agriculture Department said. "Fruits like oranges, papaya and lemon were also destroyed and the area under cultivation comes to over 882 hectares. The highest...