-The Hindu GUDURU (KRISHNA): In Krishna district, considered the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh, illiterate women leaders of agricultural labourers, engaged in paddy operations, have made a major contribution for better yield. The leader, known as ‘mestri' or ‘crop manager' among the womenfolk, attends the field with a rope in her hands. Having the sufficient number of workers, her duty involves calculation of the quantity of paddy saplings required for transplantation in...

-The Business Standard Rainfall shortage in Rajasthan to hit summer and winter crops Alwar (Rajasthan): Khajura Ram has an agonising fortnight ahead. If it does not rain in the next 15 days, he not only will have a poor summer bajra crop; his winter wheat or mustard will suffer as well because it will have to be planted late. "By the middle of August, the bajra crop should have been ready for harvesting...

As the country celebrates 68th anniversary of her independence this year, recent data from the Census 2011 reveals that the population of homeless declined by 8.8% between 2001 and 2011 to reach 17.7 lakhs. This means that 4.5 lakh households (of average household size 3.9) still do not have any shelter to sleep safely. Although the percentage share of homeless in total population is miniscule (i.e. 0.15%), in absolute numbers...

-The Hindustan Times Kendrapara (Odisha): Fresh rains compounded the woes of northern Odisha's flood-hit residents on Saturday, though water receded in several rivers that had burst their banks. The deluge has put over 2.8 million people in the state at risk and destroyed crops on 260,000 hectares of land. At least 38 people have been killed so far. Sabitri Swain, from Ratanpur village in Kendrapara district, said she spends the night in a...

-The Times of India LUDHIANA: The soil and water engineering experts of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have observed that the cultivation of rice in hot and humid climate often results in accumulation of gasses like carbon dioxide and nitrogen in tubewell pits. A K Jain, HoD Soil and Water Engineering, said, "In case a farmer enters the tubewell pit for repair of the pump, he can become unconscious due to less oxygen...