Mumbai: Terming the drought in the state as "terrible," Maharashtra Water Supplies Minister Laxmanrao Dhoble on Monday said the rainfall recorded till July-end was a meagre 24 per cent. "The state is facing a terrible, difficult drought. It is a cause of concern and the government will seek appropriate funds from the Centre to tackle the situation," Dhoble told reporters. "In Konkan, the average recorded rainfall is 62 per cent....
10:29 PM, Jul 30, 2012
Union Agricultural Minister Sharad Pawar has raised an alarm over possible drought this year. "Low rainfall has led to drought problem in several regions of the country. I am hoping and praying that there will be adequate rain in August and September which will provide relief. But as of now the situation is worrying," said Pawar. ...
03:08 PM, Jul 29, 2012
Bangalore: Praying for rains has begun in Karnataka, following a government order to 34,000 temples to do special pujas and havans to invoke the rain god Varuna at a cost of Rs 17 crore. Call it a coincidence that the gods are listening to the monsoon-mantras, but the clouds have opened up to some extent it seems. Karnataka is seeing some rainfall on Friday. The BJP government has sanctioned a...
01:33 PM, Jul 27, 2012
New Delhi: Even as Karnataka reels under its worst drought in 42 years, the state government is busy doling out money to temples instead of taking concrete steps. Reports suggest that the BJP government has sanctioned a total of Rs 17 crore for 34,000 temples across Karnataka, which means each temple would get Rs 5,000 for holding "special prayers" for rain. The circular forwarded to temples by the Department of...
07:45 AM, Jul 27, 2012
Minneapolis: The drought gripping more than half the country is a major reason why consumers can expect to pay 3 per cent to 4 per cent more for groceries next year, the US Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday. Milk, eggs, beef, poultry and pork prices will all be affected because the drought has pushed up prices for feed, and that will eventually translate into higher prices for steaks, hamburger,...
08:28 AM, Jul 26, 2012
Bangalore: Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappas recent outburst in the Assembly, where he had put the ruling party to mat for its failure in tackling the severe drought conditions which was prevailing in most parts of the state, echoed in the Council also on Tuesday. Referring to Yeddyurappas speech in the lower House, the Janata Dal (Secular) floor leader M C Nanaiah had urged the state government to take...
12:12 PM, Jul 25, 2012
Bangalore: Hitting back at BJP state strongman BS Yeddyurappa's veiled attack on him for alleged laxity in managament of severe drought during his tenure, former Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Tuesday said the veteran leader should have discussed the issue in party circles. "A senior leader (Yeddyurappa), who has the experience of ruling the state for over three years as chief minister, should have discussed the issue with the...
02:01 AM, Jul 25, 2012
New Delhi: With deficient monsoon rains throughout the country so far, experts have now warned that the drought situation can no longer be ignored and that it is the time to act. Food Minister KV Thomas admitted on Tuesday that the situation is worrisome and that the government will have to take measures to check hoarding as deficient rainfall will lead to crop failure. Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices...
01:22 PM, Jul 24, 2012
New Delhi: India's crucial monsoon rains are now expected to be below average, the government said on Monday, turning to contingency plans as rainfall has been about a fifth below normal so far and recent rains have not been enough to ease concerns. The monsoon lost momentum last week, falling 22 percent short of averages and raising the risk of a drought year in one of the world's leading producers...
12:39 AM, Jul 24, 2012
The state government has asked all the temples to hold special prayers. Rs 17 crores have been sanctioned to appease the rain gods. ...
09:40 PM, Jul 21, 2012
New Delhi: The monsoon rains have revived and are expected to remain active at least until the end of this month, weather officials said on Friday, easing risks of a drought for now and helping planting to pick up momentum. The June-September monsoon, vital for planting of rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybean in one of the world's biggest food consumers and producers, lost momentum last week and fell nearly...
03:52 AM, Jul 21, 2012
New Delhi: India's monsoon rains retreated to below average levels in the past week, the weather office said on Thursday, after scraping above average the previous week for the first time this season, keeping overall rainfall under par and pushing futures higher. Monsoon rains were 22 per cent below average in the week to July 18 against one percent above average rains in the previous week, reflecting the return of...
05:36 PM, Jul 19, 2012
Washington: The United States is facing "worst drought" in 25 years which could fuel food price inflation in the country, a top Obama Administration official said in Washington. As many as 61 per cent of the land mass of the United States is currently being characterised as being impacted by this drought, the Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, told reporters on Wednesday at a White House news conference, noting that this...
08:33 AM, Jul 19, 2012
Amreli: Gujarat is facing a drought-like crisis and making things worse, there's been a farmer suicide in Amreli. Refusing to accept the Agriculture Minister's assurance that there's no spectre of drought, the Narendra Modi government has now drawn up a contingency plan for 75 talukas. After a brief spell of rain, farmer Babubhai had taken a loan to sow seeds in his fields. But then came the dry spell, and...
08:28 AM, Jul 17, 2012
New Delhi: The less-than-normal rainfall is likely to hit the agricultural sector hard and hinder its growth with Union Agriculture Minister Saharad Pawar and the Met Department on Monday admitting that monsoon has not been normal across large parts of the country. Even though Pawar refused to accept that the situation was drought-like, he added that the government would wait for the second week of August to make an official...
01:45 PM, Jul 16, 2012
New Delhi: Monsoon rains in the country were above average in the past week for the first time in the current season, the weather office said, as the downpours resumed after a worrying fortnight-long pause over the central part of the country. The annual rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth as about 55 per cent of India's arable land is rain-fed. The farm sector accounts for about...
07:51 AM, Jul 13, 2012
Jehanabad: Bihar is experiencing a drought-like situation with a rainfall deficit of 60 per cent. Most villages are finding it hard to even find drinking water. This, even as Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar downplayed fears of a drought on Tuesday. Its peak sowing season and Vindhyachal Mishra can do nothing but sit at home. Mishra's farmland lies barren as the dry spell in Bihar's agricultural heartland continues unabated. If...
09:56 PM, Jul 04, 2012
Jahanabad: Bihar is experiencing a drought-like situation now with a rainfall deficit of 60 per cent. Even as Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday downplayed fears of a drought, most villages are finding it hard to even find drinking water. It is peak sowing season, but farmers like Vindhyachal Mishra can do nothing but sit at home. Mishra's farmland lies barren as the dry spell in Bihar's agricultural heartland...
08:12 AM, Jul 04, 2012
A rainfall deficit of 31 per cent and a delay of two weeks has disrupted the lives of farmers and thrown agricultural activity out of gear. ...
11:10 PM, Jul 03, 2012
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar met officials on Tuesday morning to take stock of the situation. ...
12:03 PM, Jul 03, 2012
