Sunday, July 22, 2012

HEADLINES

• Presidential poll results to be out today
• INS Sahyadri stealth frigate introduced to the navy; main role will be to protect the 3 aircraft carriers (during war time) that India will deploy by the end of the decade

NATIONAL NEWS

• Drought looms large over more States
  • Drought conditions loom over south Karnataka and central Maharashtra adding to concern at the severely deficient southwest monsoon in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. These States have been advised to go for early rabi (winter) plantation to make up for the shortfall in kharif sowing. Much will depend on the progress of the monsoon in the last week of July;
  • With an average 40 per cent deficiency in monsoon rain in the northwest so far, farmers in paddy-growing Punjab and Haryana are stressed due to the higher cost of cultivation. As water levels in the Pong and Bhakra dams are below normal, farmers in these States are using excessive power and diesel to draw groundwater to save kharif paddy;
  • Alarmed at the situation, the Centre convened a meeting of the affected States, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat. What triggered the move was the grim situation. Two-thirds of the kharif sowing period are already over;
  • Now only late varieties or short-duration crops or fodder can be sowed to save farmers in the affected States. What hits them most is that the credit/loan they take for normal sowing cannot be returned if they fail to sow. If they go for renewed sowing of contingency crops, they will have to seek a fresh loan;
  • The situation is worst in Karnataka, where sowing of coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds has been hit. The monsoon has bypassed large tracts of the State where these crops are raised. Kharif sowing is short by 10 lakh hectares, mostly in coarse cereals and groundnut, in the State. In the Pune-Sholapur-Sangli-Satara belt of Maharashtra, rainfall deficiency has severely hit the sowing of pulses and coarse cereals. About 8.5 lakh hectares remained unsown. These districts have been advised to go for early rabi sowing of guar, gram and maize to make up for the shortfall. In Rajasthan, monsoon has been delayed in the western districts and jowar and bajra sowing on nearly 15 lakh hectares has been affected.
• NCPR norms for tubewell safety
  • The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPR) has issued safety guidelines to be adhered to with respect to tubewells and borewells. This is in the wake of the death of children after falling into abandoned wells in different States;
  • Those who sink borewells or tubewells should avail themselves of prior permission from authorities at least 15 days before the work begins. Only registered agencies should be engaged for sinking the wells. The well site should have a board displaying the name and address of the site owner and the agency contracted for the purpose;
  • A safety fence should to be put up around the site while the sinking is on, and a cement platform with specified measurements should be constructed around the well. The top of the well should be closed with iron covers or similar strong protection, while abandoned wells should be filled with sand, clay, gravel, or rocks;
  • The responsibility of ensuring these safety measures is with the respective District Collectors. The district administration should see to it that the complete details of tubewells and borewells in each region are available in the respective village or block or district offices.

EDITORIALS, OPINIONS & COLUMNS

• Read this article on an interesting case in Canada involving the issue of euthanasia