-The Indian Express IMD, Thiruvananthapuram, director S Sudevan said the state has received hardly any rain since the beginning of this month. Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): An unusual dry spell coupled with the reported fall in the groundwater level in flood-hit areas of Kerala has emerged as a cause of concern. IMD, Thiruvananthapuram, director S Sudevan said the state has received hardly any rain since the beginning of this month. Weekly rainfall for the whole...

-The Hindu There should be space for greater storage of water in reservoirs before the onset of monsoon In the aftermath of any tragedy, people struggle to comprehend what happened and how to cope. Kerala is no different. With the floodwaters finally receding, a number of experts and politicians have stated various possible reasons for the tragedy. Some have cited ill-thought-out development plans that have affected the sustainability of the Western Ghats,...

-The Indian Express One reason for the MSPs not having the desired impact could be the delayed announcement. Farmers usually make sowing decisions before the onset of the monsoon. New Delhi: The government may have substantially hiked minimum support prices (MSP) of crops being grown in the current kharif season. That, along with most parts of India receiving good rain until now, should have considerably boosted plantings by farmers this time. However, the...

-Down to Earth So far, rainfall in the Indo-Gangetic plain has remained deficient, with last week recording largely deficient rain Monsoon is yet to smile upon the states in the Indo-Gangetic plain, almost 45 days after it reached the country. States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana recorded deficient rain (20-59 per cent below normal) from June 1 to July 11. Last week, between July 5-11, Haryana,...

-Livemint.com Agriculture is not only crucial for what happens to growth, inflation and rural distress, it is also politically important given the simmering discontent among farmers in the last two years Last week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared that the south-west monsoon has covered the entire country, 15 days earlier than normal. This may be a cause for celebration considering the distress in agriculture in the last four years. Agriculture is...