-The Hindu DINDIGUL (Tamil Nadu): Fifty villages with acute water scarcity in 25 districts in the State have been chosen for the Central government’s ‘Jal Gram’ scheme to make them water surplus through integrated development and water conservation measures, according to A. Subburaj, Regional Director, the Central Water Commission. Addressing a workshop on water conservation, Water security and water quality, organised by the CWC here on Thursday, Mr. Subburaj said two villages...

-The Hindu The system brought down input costs — two to four kg of seeds per acre against 30 kg needed for fertiliser-based, water-intensive farming A model evolved for applying traditional wisdom in farming has also helped in conserving indigenous paddy varieties that are under threat of extinction. The Biodiversity Rainfed Farming System, promoted by Rural Organisation for Social Education, a not-for-profit voluntary organisation, in four blocks of Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu,...

The low rate of inflation of 3.88 percent in Consumer Food Price Index during September, 2015 actually hides the high prices at which various pulses (dal) are available in kirana / retail shops across India. In terms of Consumer Price Index (combined), monthly rate of inflation in pulses and products during September 2015 (over September last year) stood at 29.76 percent as compared to the overall monthly retail inflation of...

-DNA Wondering about the plight of the rural population facing successive droughts which has to buy pulses, South Asia Network for Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) laments how no benefit of the price hike is reaching actual pulse farmers. While most link the current tur (pigeon pea) dal crisis with raging market prices, storage issues, hoarding and economics, a new study highlighting the making of the crisis - by South Asia Network...

-IANS New Delhi: In a shocking revelation that could be seen as an indictment of the past governments in Delhi and at the centre, a report of union home ministry has claimed that more than 33,000 homeless people have perished in the national capital since 2004. According to the data released by the zonal integrated police network under the union ministry, 33,518 homeless people died in Delhi between January 2004 and October...