Climate crisis: India now confronts a drought
3 years, 7 months ago

Climate crisis: India now confronts a drought

Hindustan Times  

Drought-like conditions are setting in over most parts of Gujarat, west Rajasthan and some districts of Odisha that have recorded significant rain deficiency during the monsoon, according to Standard Precipitation Index data for August maintained by the India Meteorological Department. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which was released earlier this month, has warned that the South Asian monsoon has weakened in the second half of the 20th century, mainly on account of human activity, and that rising temperatures could mean more droughts. The gradual nature of droughts often prevents governments from recognising its deep long-term, socio-economic impact, often reducing the urgency that would otherwise trigger a timely and comprehensive response. These steps are important because droughts could further intensify farm distress, lead to over-extraction of groundwater, increase rural to urban migration, and intensify water conflicts between states and between farms, cities and industries.

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History of this topic

Over 6L farmers report 33% crop loss in Odisha; CM announces ₹291.59cr aid
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Over 6L farmers report 33% crop loss in Odisha; CM announces ₹291.59cr aid

Hindustan Times  

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced a compensation package of ₹291.59 crore from the state disaster response fund to support farmers whose crops were damaged by unseasonal rain during the kharif harvesting period between December 20 and 28. The CM said that the funds, sourced from the SDRF, would be disbursed starting today Chief minister Mohan Majhi said that 6.66 …

Extreme Weather Devastation: Central India Suffers the Most, As India Grapples with Crop Losses
5 months, 1 week ago

Extreme Weather Devastation: Central India Suffers the Most, As India Grapples with Crop Losses

News 18  

Extreme weather events have severely affected crop land in India, with Central India being the hardest-hit. The region has witnessed a 54% increase in crop area affected due to extreme weather events compared to 2022. The state has been particularly hard-hit, with Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh also suffering significant losses.

Weather Update: Rain Alert Issued for UP, Bihar, MP, and Other States | ABP News
6 months, 1 week ago

Weather Update: Rain Alert Issued for UP, Bihar, MP, and Other States | ABP News

ABP News  

The sheer force of nature has rendered life helpless as a significant portion of the country is currently engulfed by floods. Several states across India are still under a rain alert today, with continued warnings of heavy rainfall. Uttar Pradesh, eastern Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh are also facing warnings, urging residents to remain cautious as more rain is expected to …

Over 85% of Indian districts exposed to extreme climate events: Study
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Over 85% of Indian districts exposed to extreme climate events: Study

The Hindu  

More than 85% of districts in India are exposed to extreme climate events such as floods, droughts and cyclones, according to a new study. The study by IPE Global and Esri India also found that 45% of the districts were experiencing a "swapping" trend, where traditionally flood-prone areas were becoming drought-prone and vice versa. Using a penta-decadal analysis, the study …

Climate change makes India’s monsoons erratic. Can farmers still find a way to prosper?
9 months ago

Climate change makes India’s monsoons erratic. Can farmers still find a way to prosper?

Associated Press  

BENGALURU, India — Each year from June to September, a heavy band of rain makes its way from India’s southwest coast to its northeastern borders, quenching farmers’ thirsty fields. “We planted our cotton seeds after a good monsoon was predicted but it rained just two days and stopped after, so now we’re worried our crops will fail again.” The Indian …

Govt begins work on staving off climate crisis farm impact
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Govt begins work on staving off climate crisis farm impact

Hindustan Times  

The government has constituted two scientific panels to assemble an advanced countrywide agricultural weather information system and introduce tech-enabled assessment of crop yields to ward off the impacts of extreme weather linked to climate change, officials said. The committees anchored in the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre in New Delhi comprises multidisciplinary experts and representation from states to step up …

Farmers say their plight amid drought has been ignored in the electoral rhetoric
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Farmers say their plight amid drought has been ignored in the electoral rhetoric

The Hindu  

In an election season which has coincided with unprecedented heat and water stress due to monsoon failure, farmers across the board are unhappy over their issues being conspicuous by their absence in the political discourse panning out in the electoral arena. This forced a section of farmers to come together in Mysuru on Wednesday and put forth demands seeking emphasis …

Between drought and despair in Andhra
1 year, 1 month ago

Between drought and despair in Andhra

The Hindu  

S. Ramireddy has been a farmer all his life. “I belong to a traditional farming family and used to grow crops on my 1.5-acre land, but drought conditions compelled me to look for an alternative job,” says a 32-year-old woman farmer of Penukonda mandal in Sri Sathya Sai, requesting anonymity, who is now working as a labourer for a road …

Agriculture Minister Chaluvaraya Swamy blames Centre for not releasing drought relief to Karnataka
1 year, 4 months ago

Agriculture Minister Chaluvaraya Swamy blames Centre for not releasing drought relief to Karnataka

The Hindu  

Admitting that the farmers in the State were reeling under a severe financial crisis owing mainly to the drought that had hit most of the State, Agriculture Minister N. Chaluvaraya Swamy said that the decision on the disbursement of drought relief would be taken by the Cabinet in its meeting scheduled for Thursday. We will take its report and recommendations …

Prized Science | Every drop counts, and making quality medicine
1 year, 5 months ago

Prized Science | Every drop counts, and making quality medicine

Hindustan Times  

Vimal Mishra, Vikram Sarabhai Professor of civil engineering at IIT Gandhinagar, has won this year’s Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Science. He discusses his work, which quantifies how water resources have been affected by climate change and human activities, and the relative contribution of these two factors. Our research has demonstrated that while climate change …

Cabinet panel says 195 taluks are drought-hit in Karnataka
1 year, 6 months ago

Cabinet panel says 195 taluks are drought-hit in Karnataka

The Hindu  

A total of 195 taluks out of the 236 in Karnataka will be declared as drought-hit owing to deficient rainfall during the southwest monsoon. A Cabinet sub-committee on disaster management, which met here on Wednesday, said the list of drought-hit taluks would be released after the consent of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The panel has decided to recommend to Mr. Siddaramaiah …

Addressing India's Agri-Water Crisis
1 year, 6 months ago

Addressing India's Agri-Water Crisis

Hindustan Times  

For years, experts have been urging people to understand that the fast-depleting status of groundwater is not beneficial for conventional agriculture. With over 600 million farmers collectively contributing to 10% of the global agricultural yield, India’s farmers tend to disproportionately use groundwater and lack awareness about its actual levels. For a country as big as India, with only 4% of …

Climate Change Challenges Threats Extreme Weather Events Floods Droughts Heat Waves Water Scarcity India Intensify By Next Decade
1 year, 7 months ago

Climate Change Challenges Threats Extreme Weather Events Floods Droughts Heat Waves Water Scarcity India Intensify By Next Decade

ABP News  

Climate change is proving its presence worldwide through increased extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, landslides, excessive rain, heat waves, and sea level rise. More frequent and severe extreme weather events, water scarcity, sea level rise, increased cyclonic activity, and landslides are some of the impacts of climate change India is likely to witness by the next decade, the …

India’s climate crisis susceptibility and the way forward
1 year, 9 months ago

India’s climate crisis susceptibility and the way forward

Hindustan Times  

The climate crisis poses an increasingly complex challenge worldwide, with profound implications for ecosystems, economies, and societies. India's vulnerability to climate crisis necessitates a long-term approach to build resilience and adapt to the changing climate. By adopting measures that enhance resilience in sectors such as agriculture, water management, and infrastructure, India can mitigate the adverse impacts of the climate crisis …

16 of 22 El Nino years in India resulted in drought-like situation
1 year, 9 months ago

16 of 22 El Nino years in India resulted in drought-like situation

Hindustan Times  

The India Meteorological Department data covering the past 122 years shows India has experienced 22 El Nino year occurrences since 1901, and 16 of these resulted in drought-like conditions because of below normal monsoon rainfall. This year, the forecast by scientists of India facing the effects of El Nino in its monsoon cycle may impact the agricultural sector. Unpredictable effect …

Rapid droughts coming on faster over majority of world. Will it impact India?
1 year, 11 months ago

Rapid droughts coming on faster over majority of world. Will it impact India?

Hindustan Times  

Rapid onsets of drought, also called flash droughts, have been occurring frequently with greater speed in many parts of the world as a result of climate change, according to a new study. The study, which was published in Science, quoted the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Extreme Events data and said a significant transition towards flash droughts …

Global warming making India vulnerable to extreme weather events
2 years, 1 month ago

Global warming making India vulnerable to extreme weather events

Live Mint  

India is likely to witness more extreme weather events, including intense heat waves, heavy flooding and severe drought that pose challenges to food and energy security for the second-most populous nation. Erratic weather conditions expose millions of Indians to climate disasters, kill thousands every year and increase economic hardships by eroding farm productivity. Deadly heat waves strained energy supplies and …

Explained: 50 Years From Now, What Will Be Impact of Climate Change on India?
2 years, 1 month ago

Explained: 50 Years From Now, What Will Be Impact of Climate Change on India?

The Quint  

This is expected to widen the gap between extremely dry days and days with increased precipitation, further affecting access to clean water, as noted in a 2013 report commissioned by the World Bank Group from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics. While some studies state that glacial melt will lead to increased run-off and more water …

Govt panels to assess climate crisis impact on crop yields
2 years, 4 months ago

Govt panels to assess climate crisis impact on crop yields

Hindustan Times  

The Union government has set up two high-level scientific panels to put together an advanced agricultural weather information system across India, and to enable an assessment of crop yields in view of increasing extreme weather events, an official said. Severe heatwaves and changing rainfall patterns threaten India’s food security, especially its rice and wheat cropping systems, critical to feeding the …

Warming may lead to more frequent, longer-lasting droughts in India: Study
2 years, 5 months ago

Warming may lead to more frequent, longer-lasting droughts in India: Study

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: Rising global temperatures may lead to more frequent and longer-lasting droughts in India, while posing significant risks to people and ecosystems around the world, according to a study. In the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming scenario, the drought probability is projected to triple in Brazil and China, nearly double in Ethiopia and Ghana, increase slightly in India, and substantially …

Indian subcontinent is prone to catastrophic prolonged droughts, claims study
2 years, 6 months ago

Indian subcontinent is prone to catastrophic prolonged droughts, claims study

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A new study that recreated hundreds of years of historical monsoon summer data finds the …

India’s climate imperative
2 years, 8 months ago

India’s climate imperative

The Hindu  

In the absence of COVID-19, climate change-induced disasters would have been India’s biggest red alert in recent years. The heatwave that scorched Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and New Delhi this year; torrential downpours in south India in 2021; and the super cyclone Amphan that battered West Bengal and Odisha in 2020 are symbols of man-made climate change. Labour losses from …

Kerala floods: The impact of the climate crisis on India’s vulnerable ecology
3 years, 5 months ago

Kerala floods: The impact of the climate crisis on India’s vulnerable ecology

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: Kerala saw three devastating floods in four years that together killed at least 600 people and wiped out entire habitations, drawing the world’s attention to how the climate crisis is impacting ecologically vulnerable parts of India. On October 14, the India Meteorological Department warned that two low-pressure areas — one over east-central and the adjoining southeast Arabian Sea, …

The climate crisis threatens Indian agriculture and livelihoods
3 years, 7 months ago

The climate crisis threatens Indian agriculture and livelihoods

Hindustan Times  

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, released on Monday, has highlighted the stark reality of global warming and its dire consequences — altered rainfall patterns, rising seas and temperatures, deadlier heat waves and glacial melts. PREMIUM The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, released on Monday, has highlighted the stark reality of global warming and its dire consequences — …

India Plagued With Extreme Climate Events, But Are We Taking the Right Actions?
3 years, 7 months ago

India Plagued With Extreme Climate Events, But Are We Taking the Right Actions?

The Quint  

But as some parts of India are dealing with extreme rainfall, others have been facing heatwaves that has become a regular phenomenon in the country with temperatures soaring to new highs year after year. While a severe heatwave gripped Delhi and the rest of northern India in the beginning of July, even cooler areas, like Ladakh in the Himalayan region, …

Five-fold increase of cyclones in Bengal: Study
3 years, 10 months ago

Five-fold increase of cyclones in Bengal: Study

India Today  

The frequency of cyclones in 15 West Bengal districts, home to nearly 72 million people, has increased five-fold between 1970 and 2019 for which priority should be given to preserving the mangrove forests of Sunderbans which act as a natural coastal defence against flooding, an environmental think tank said on Thursday. "Also, West Bengal should accelerate implementation of the National …

India’s deepening water crisis at the heart of farm protests
3 years, 10 months ago

India’s deepening water crisis at the heart of farm protests

Associated Press  

India — Every year, Swarn Singh sows rice in his fields, knowing that the thirsty crop is draining northern India’s Punjab of its groundwater. But Singh says he has no choice, adding, “We’d rather plant crops that need less water.” The 32-year-old farmer and school teacher lives in Ransih Kalan village in the state’s Moga district, where green fields surrounding …

More flash droughts in India by end of century
4 years, 2 months ago

More flash droughts in India by end of century

The Hindu  

In 1979, India faced a severe flash drought, affecting about 40% of the country and taking a toll on agriculture. If we can meet the ‘Paris Agreement’ goals and limit global warming to well below 2 degrees C, the numbers and frequency of the projected flash droughts may go down,” says Vimal Mishra from the Civil Engineering and Earth Sciences …

Climate Change Tracker: 75% of India’s districts vulnerable to extreme climate events
4 years, 3 months ago

Climate Change Tracker: 75% of India’s districts vulnerable to extreme climate events

Live Mint  

On December 12, as the world marked five years of the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change, it also provided for an opportunity to take stock. On 10 December, the New Delhi-based energy research institution Council on Energy, Environment and Water released a study appraising the climate change-induced threats facing India. The study, Preparing India for Extreme Climate Events: Mapping …

Many Indian districts ‘hotspots’ of climate change
4 years, 3 months ago

Many Indian districts ‘hotspots’ of climate change

The Hindu  

About three in four of India’s districts are hotspots of extreme climate events such as cyclones, floods, drought, heat and cold waves, according to a study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, a research agency. India saw 250 extreme climate events between 1970 and 2005, and since then 310 extreme weather events. The study also found a shift …

RBI Flags Concerns over Climate Change Impact on India's Farm Outlook
4 years, 7 months ago

RBI Flags Concerns over Climate Change Impact on India's Farm Outlook

News 18  

The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday flagged concerns about impact of climate change, in terms of volatile rainfall intensity, increase in extreme events and rising temperature, having implications for India’s agriculture outlook. Amid these challenges, it said, agri and allied sector provided a “silver lining” in 2019-20 fiscal on the back of record foodgrains and horticulture production, coupled with …

Climate change messing with monsoon patterns; havoc caused was noticed in rural and urban India this year
5 years, 4 months ago

Climate change messing with monsoon patterns; havoc caused was noticed in rural and urban India this year

Firstpost  

No season is as central to Indian life and lore as the monsoon. By 2050, the World Bank estimates, erratic rainfall, combined with rising temperatures, stand to “depress the living standards of nearly half the country’s population.” Rural India: Brutal Drought The Marathwada region, stretching out across western India, is known for its cruel, hot summers. “But we’ll get nothing …

India must not look at its water crisis in isolation
5 years, 4 months ago

India must not look at its water crisis in isolation

Hindustan Times  

This was a rough monsoon — a delayed start in many parts of India, and then a deluge — leading to both devastating droughts and floods, so much so that almost every other day, we read news about parched cities, and submerged villages. Much of India will face a grim water future, and what we do now will have an …

Opinion | It’s important to be prepared for natural disasters
5 years, 5 months ago

Opinion | It’s important to be prepared for natural disasters

Live Mint  

Every time there’s a large-scale disaster in India, it is proclaimed to be once-in-a-100-years event, and post facto relief measures are carried out. It is said that globally, the insured loss total stood at $219 billion, for the years 2017 and 2018, representing the highest level of associated insurance payouts over two periods ever. The total combined economic loss from …

As droughts blight Asia, organisations are creating toolkits for victims of the crises
5 years, 5 months ago

As droughts blight Asia, organisations are creating toolkits for victims of the crises

Firstpost  

As severe multi-year droughts blight Asia, organisations are coming together to create toolkits and response mechanisms to deal with the crisis. Winter drought in Hindu Kush Himalayas The white paper’s grim tidings come at a time when worries over a lingering winter drought have begun to grip scientists and policy makers in the Hindukush Himalayan countries. In 2018, the eastern …

In Deep Shit: Climate Change is Forcing Indian Farmers to Grow Food in Sewage Water
5 years, 6 months ago

In Deep Shit: Climate Change is Forcing Indian Farmers to Grow Food in Sewage Water

News 18  

This monsoon in rural Haryana, the pleasant earthy smell of rain was replaced with the unmistakable stench of untreated sewage. Describing the plight of Indian farmers as an “unprecedented existential crisis, which has an inextricable link with water policy”, he explains, “During the Green Revolution, we incentivised farmers to grow water-intensive crops like rice, wheat and sugarcane, which take up …

Water crisis in India: Changing cropping patterns, recharging ground reserves imperative to avert disaster
5 years, 8 months ago

Water crisis in India: Changing cropping patterns, recharging ground reserves imperative to avert disaster

Firstpost  

Of 91 major water reservoirs in the country, 11 have zero percent storage. Further, almost two-thirds of the country’s reservoirs have below normal levels On Sunday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned with his monthly radio broadcast, “Mann ki Baat,” he urged citizens to use water resources judiciously. NITI Aayog sounds warning bell The NITI Aayog ’s 2018 composite water …

From North to South, 60 Crore Indians Face Severe Water Crisis
5 years, 9 months ago

From North to South, 60 Crore Indians Face Severe Water Crisis

The Quint  

Districts in Karnataka have shut schools for an extra week due to water scarcity. There is no respite in sight anytime soon as the southwest monsoon this year, responsible for 80% of India’s rainfall, is projected to be delayed and below normal in north and south India. India has been experiencing widespread drought every year since 2015, with the exception …

High-alert called for drought in West, Southern states after pre-monsoon rains fail
5 years, 9 months ago

High-alert called for drought in West, Southern states after pre-monsoon rains fail

Firstpost  

Two-thirds of India’s pre-monsoon rains are either low or very low, with the country now on drought-alert. This has been the second-driest pre-monsoon season in the last 65 years, after the record lowest in 2012, when the cumulative rainfall amounted to only 31 percent of expected, according to a Skymet report. While monsoon rains are the main source of freshwater …

Opinion | A drought could test the next government
5 years, 11 months ago

Opinion | A drought could test the next government

Live Mint  

No matter which political party stakes claim to form a new national government on 23 May, it seems like the weather might pose an immediate test of its administrative competence. In many ways, a scenario similar to 2014, when the Narendra Modi government raised alarm bells over a drought that hit 330 million Indians, may play out after the 2019 …

42% of India’s Land Drought Affected, Worsening Farm Distress in Election Year
5 years, 11 months ago

42% of India’s Land Drought Affected, Worsening Farm Distress in Election Year

The Quint  

States such as Karnataka have opposed the latest drought management manual that came out in December 2016, saying it made it difficult to establish the severity of drought and would drastically reduce assistance from the Centre’s National Disaster Relief Fund. The manual obligates states to assess numerous parameters, based on which an area can be declared drought-hit and assigned a …

Monsoon should be robust provided no El Nino surprise: Met Official
6 years ago

Monsoon should be robust provided no El Nino surprise: Met Official

Live Mint  

India's monsoon, crucial for Asia's third largest economy, is likely to be a robust and healthy one this year provided there isn't a surprise El Nino phenomenon, Indian's top government weather official said on Wednesday. Monsoon rains, the lifeblood for India's farm-dependent $2.6 trillion economy, arrive on the southern tip of Kerala state around June 1 and retreat from the …

Nearly 50% of India currently facing drought, say IIT Gandhinagar scientists
6 years ago

Nearly 50% of India currently facing drought, say IIT Gandhinagar scientists

The Hindu  

Nearly 50% of the country is currently facing drought with at least 16% falling in the “exceptional” or “extreme” category, according to IIT Gandhinagar scientists managing India’s real time drought prediction system. “Arunachal Pradesh did not get good rain this year, and parts of Jharkhand, southern Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and northern part of Tamil Nadu are under drought,” Mr. Mishra …

Where every drop counts
6 years, 2 months ago

Where every drop counts

The Hindu  

Rainfall has been scanty since the conclusion of the southwest monsoon, and several districts across the country have already been affected by drought in 2018-19. According to the Manual for Drought Management by the Department of Agriculture, there are six major data indicators which portend drought: Rainfall, crop sown area, reservoir levels, satellite-based crop conditions, stream flow and groundwater levels. …

Opinion | India’s neglected groundwater crisis
6 years, 4 months ago

Opinion | India’s neglected groundwater crisis

Live Mint  

India’s over-exploitation of groundwater is contributing to—as stated by NITI Aayog—“the worst water crisis in its history”. In fact, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Water Development Report states that India is the largest extractor of groundwater in the world. An analysis of panel data across 370 districts in India found that a reduction in electricity subsidy …

Soumya Sarkar on neglecting nature and the price we pay for it
6 years, 7 months ago

Soumya Sarkar on neglecting nature and the price we pay for it

The Hindu  

When disaster strikes, it is small comfort for a scientist to say ‘I told you so.’ Even as Kerala limps back on the long road to recovery after a devastating deluge that killed hundreds, rendered tens of thousands homeless, and caused damage worth billions, an eminent ecologist has gone to town about how his warning of such an event was …

Rise in extreme weather events in India raises concerns over climate change impact
6 years, 7 months ago

Rise in extreme weather events in India raises concerns over climate change impact

Live Mint  

New Delhi: As heavy rains pound Kerala and overflowing rivers inundate most of the state, the increasing number of instances of extreme weather events in India have deepened concerns about the impact of climate change. When there is more rain than the soil can absorb, water will quickly run-off overwhelming streams, drains and rivers, and causing flash floods,” said Dr …

Opinion | Reforming Indian agriculture by sprinkles and drips
6 years, 7 months ago

Opinion | Reforming Indian agriculture by sprinkles and drips

Live Mint  

Each year in India, one half of a billion people pray for rain. Despite the spectacular past success, the country has now become a net importer of food and Chinese agriculture faces challenges from water shortage and climate change. India’s agricultural policy for the next decade should shift away from cereal centricity and be primarily focused on water effectiveness. The …

World Bank study enumerates climate change consequences for South Asia: Will India act in time?
6 years, 8 months ago

World Bank study enumerates climate change consequences for South Asia: Will India act in time?

Firstpost  

The World Bank study suggests that transitioning farmers to non-agricultural jobs, providing additional schooling and reducing water stress could reduce the climate change hit on India’s GDP from 2.8 percent to 2.4 percent. The study says that the number affected could range from 1 in 4 South Asians — in a world that responds to the climate change threat by …

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