-PTI Chandigarh: The illegal practice of burning paddy stubble has been going on unabated in some parts of Punjab and Haryana despite a government ban on it causing air pollution and health-related issues, agri-experts said. According to Vice Chancellor of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Dr B S Dhillon, stubble burning is causing multiple problems that include affecting the Soil Health, besides causing environmental pollution. "Hazy weather was witnessed recently which could have...

-The Hindustan Times Sangrur (Punjab): Notwithstanding the government's ban on burning of paddy stubble, the practice continues unabated, causing serious threat to human health and soil fertility. Respiratory issues and allergies are common complaints due to the burning of paddy stubble which leads to smog.Smoke from the burnt paddy stubble has covered the sky in most parts of the district, reducing visibility on highways and causing respiratory problems. Despite several steps taken by...

-The Economic Times LONDON: Large areas of rich irrigated and fertile land in the Indo-Gangetic basin is being lost daily to salt damage, confirms the UN. Crop yield losses on salt-affected lands for wheat, rice, sugarcane and cotton grown on salt-affected lands could be 40%, 45%, 48%, and 63%, respectively. Employment losses could be 50-80 man-days per hectare, with an estimate 20-40% increase in human health problems and 15-50% increase in animal health...

-The Business Standard   NC Saxena, a former member of the National Advisory Council believes that the regulatory regime in the states continues to be oppressive. In an e-mailed interview with Aditi Phadnis, Saxena says that the fundamental problem in India is the low tax-GDP ratio and neither the last government nor the current one seems interested in increasing revenues. Edited excerpts: * The new government appears to be watering down a lot...

-The Hindu Plea for cocoon procurement facility, silk reeling centre Dindigul (Tamil Nadu): Better procurement price, good yield in a short gestation period and stable market for cocoons throughout the year - all these factors have attracted many farmers to take up sericulture. Rapid expansion of sericulture farms has pushed Dindigul district to the third place in the State in cocoon production. Koovanuthu Pudur near Saanaarpatti is a major cocoon production centre in...