-The Hindu For the fourth time in the past 11 years, India is heading for a ‘meteorological’ drought India is heading for a drought, in meteorological terms, for the fourth time in the past 11 years. The previous droughts during this period were in 2002, 2004 and 2009. A meteorological drought, in the sense that atmospheric scientists typically use the term, occurs when a monsoon ends with nationwide rainfall during the season falling...
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Tribunal order on Maheshwar dam based on false certificate: NBA
-The Hindu The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has criticised the August 9 order of the National Green Tribunal, allowing the filling of the Maheshwar dam up to 154 metres and generation of 400 MW electricity from the dam. Saying the order was given on a “completely erroneous basis,” the NBA said the tribunal “ignored the Central Electricity Authority’s opinion” that no electricity could be generated at 154 metres. “The tribunal based its order...
More »Low monsoon rains in India means less rice for the world in 2012–UN agency
-The United Nations The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today that global rice paddy production for 2012 is expected to be lower than originally expected, owing to below-normal monsoon rains in India. The July 2012 issue of the Rice Market Monitor, released by FAO today, says that production is expected to total 724.5 million tonnes – a 7.8 million tonne downward revision compared to the original forecast in April....
More »Cutting fuel subsidy can cause 2.6% spike in inflation: RBI chief D Subbarao
-The Economic Times Reserve Bank of India Governor D Subbarao has said the proposed elimination of fuel subsidy can lead to a massive 2.6% spike in inflation, an assessment that makes it even more difficult for the government to bite the bullet. While a hike in diesel and cooking gas prices may be long overdue, the government is hard-pressed to contain inflation ahead of crucial assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh...
More »Facing up to a drought
-The Hindu What started as a dismal monsoon has since gone from bad to worse. It reached the subcontinent a few days late and its progress northwards thereafter was anything but vigorous. By the end of June, large swathes of the country had received hardly any rain and the nationwide rainfall deficit soared to 29 per cent. Even at that stage, however, there was a chance that the monsoon could recover...
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