-IANS Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Tuesday asked the state government to submit within four weeks a report over the alleged farmer suicides in the state. Hearing a petition over suicides of farmers due to crop loss in the state, OHRC's working chairman Justice B.K. Mishra directed the government to inquire into the claims and submit a report, said an OHRC official here. The secretaries of agriculture and revenue and...

-Livemint.com Drought declaration can provide farmers relief through compensation for crop damage and restructuring of loans New Delhi: Even though the monsoon ended with a 14% rainfall deficit, with nearly half the country’s districts facing a shortage of over 20%, states are delaying declaring a drought that could provide immediate relief to farmers by compensating for crop damage and restructuring farm loans. The June-September monsoon, which irrigates over half the country’s farm...

-The Times of India AHMEDABAD: Gujarat is prone to drought once in three years while states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka tend to have two years of drought in a period of five years. This is one of the conclusions of the central government's report, 'Drought, Crisis Management Plan-2015' which also says that around 16% of the country and 68% of the sowing area nationally is drought prone. In the...

-Hindustan Times Mumbai: Maharashtra government is finally waking up to the effects of climate change. Reeling under crippling water scarcity, it has decided to set up Maharahstra’s first climate change study centre. The idea of a centre was prompted by the successive weather eccentricities that the state has suffered in consecutive years --- drought, excess rainfall, hailstorms and drought again. The centre will set up in Aurangabad, the heart of the state’s driest and...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: India's nationally determined contributions to mitigate climate change are likely to be unveiled on October 1 and will promote renewable energy, enhanced energy efficiency, less carbon intensive urban centres, green transport and abatement of pollution. India's strategy ahead of the climate summit in Paris in December will be firmly anchored in the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" and will clearly project India's financial, technology transfer...