"We are not prepared to handle the effects of climate change on agriculture. It is reflected through our management of drought situation in states like Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh," veteran agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan told [Zee News]. "As the effects of climate change manifest, there will be unprecedented droughts and some areas will receive more rain..." said Swaminathan, known as the father of India's Green Revolution.
For 2012, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has downgraded the monsoon forecast to 96 percent from the April forecast of 99 percent. As per IMD standards, an average or normal monsoon means rainfall between 96 and 104 percent of a 50-year average of 89 cm during a four-month season from June. Rainfall below 90 percent of the average is considered to result in a drought.
While a deficit monsoon has so far not been announced, the drought-like situation in several states has already had a negative impact on agricutlture and also resulted in several farmers' suicides....
Sand mining in a dry riverbed in Tamil Nadu, India, shot by Pitchaimuthu, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
1 comment:
Swaminathan must be getting senile. He should know that this year we have an el Nino which means in turn less rains as compared to last year when we had above average rains due to a La Nina. Both phenomena are natural.swaminathan should know basics.
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