Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams, chapter 290
Palash Biswas
General Kapoor to visit US from July 20-25
strategic partnership to a higher level for synergized and concerted
efforts to combat the scourge of global terrorism and to bring peace
and ...
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First day on job, US envoy Tim Roemer meets Menon
'Partnership with US vital to achieve developmental goals'
Graphs
Sensex
Nifty
70 p.c. of defence equipment being imported, says Antony
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister A K
Antony on Monday said it was "unfortunate and painful" that 70 per cent
of defence equipment was still being imported and informed the Lok
Sabha that government was working towards manufacturing
state-of-the-art equipment indigenously.
"It is unfortunate and painful that 70 per cent of defence equipment is still being imported," he said during the Question Hour.
Mr. Antony said till India reached a
stage where it could provide state-of-the-art equipment, it would have
to rely on imports. "If Indian products are not of state-of the art
quality, using them would be dangerous," he said.
The defence minister said his ministry
had decided to accord first priority to Indian public and private
companies which are able to provide such equipment.
In reply to a question on whether there
was a time-frame by when India would become self-sufficient in defence
production, Mr. Antony hoped the process would be "speeded up".
He said the procurement policy would be reviewed annually.
Minister of State of Defence, Vincent
Pala conceded that there were deficiencies in bullet proof jackets but
said these were not "sub-standard".
On the issue of delay in buying defence
equipment, Mr. Antony said a committee has been constituted for the
purpose and given financial powers which were till now vested with the
defence minister.
"We should understand that we are a
democracy and have a system and procedure (for procurement of
weapons)," he said, responding to Naveen Jindal (Cong) who said the
forces were still using World War II vintage weapons while Pakistan and
Bangladesh had better arms.
In reply to a query by Lalu Prasad
(RJD), Mr. Antony said there was an "inordinate delay" in starting the
Ordnance Factory set up at Rajgir in Bihar during the NDA regime, but
added that it would be expedited now.
| tates Affected by Drought |  |
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Dow Jones Newswires
NEW
DELHI -- There are no signs of drought in India despite below-normal
monsoon rains, a senior meteorological official told the CNBC-TV18
television channel Tuesday.
"July is the rainiest month in terms of quantity. If we get more
than 90% (of long period average), it will be good," said A. Mazumdar,
a senior official of the India Meteorological Department.
India's four-month-long annual monsoon is crucial for summer-sown crops as 60% of the agricultural area is rain-fed.
Write to Dow Jones Newswires editors at asknewswires@dowjones.com
No plan for drought-proofing the economy
In
June, from peasants to the prime minister's office, everyone was praying for
rains. In July, their prayers seem to be heard, and some catching
monsoon has occurred. But still, the cumulative rainfall of the country from
June 1 to July 9, was deficient by 34% from its Long Period Average (LPA) of 89
cms measured over a fifty-year period of 1941-90.
It is strange that
while we boast of resilience of Indian economy from global financial shocks, yet
a 15-day delay in monsoon can send jitters to policymakers. The reason for this
paradox is the huge under-investment in water resources, as also the almost
complete lack of institutional and pricing reforms in the water sector,
including power for irrigation.
Indian agriculture is still
considered a gamble in monsoons as about 60% of cropped area remains rainfed.
This need not be so, and the fate of Indian peasants can change in just five
years if the policymakers decide to scale up investments in the irrigation
sector, from rainwater harvesting schemes to small and medium, and even large,
irrigation schemes to, say, Rs 40,000 crore a year for the next five years, as
has been done for National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) programme.
The reason is that there are more than 400 irrigation projects
waiting to be completed, which need a total investment of more than Rs 200,000
crore. But the budget allocation under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme
for 2009-10 is only Rs 9,700 crore.
No wonder, at this pace, Indian
peasants will keep looking up to the sky for the next 20 years. Enhanced budget
allocations alone will not solve the problem. The irrigation sector needs a
major dose of institutional and price reforms to "tame the anarchy".
Unfortunately, there is no such vision, no priority, and there is no
solid agenda on the table towards drought-proofing the economy. The proposal for
inter-linking of rivers has been gathering dust for years. No wonder then Indian
agriculture remains hostage to the vagaries of monsoons.
(Ashok Gulati, Director in Asia,
International Food Policy Research Institute)
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ET-Debate/No-plan-for-drought-proofing-the-economy/articleshow/4787252.cms
Effective monsoon-governing strategy missing
As the
demand for water in India is increasing from 634 BCM (billion cubic metres) in
2000 to 813 BCM in 2010, 1443 in 2020, our dependence on
increasing manifold in the years to come.
Thus there is a need for
serious policy planning to meet and manage the requirement in the face of
frequent deficient monsoon. Demand-side management strategy is needed for
rationalising water use patterns and address the problem of monsoon dependency.
While dependence cannot be eliminated, it may be possible that
appropriate interventions in technology, socio-economic and geo-political
spheres can address the negative impact.
The monsoon rainfall is the
major source of irrigation (70% water for agriculture, 22% for industry and 8%
for urban areas), yet its major portion is being wasted due to lack of water
holding capacity in the traditional rain water harvesting structures.
Under the circumstances, carefully designed investment strategy on
low-cost but effective watershed management, restoration and management of
natural water bodies with the help of peoples’ participation would go a
long way in mitigating the impact of monsoon.
The solution to
minimising the dependence on the monsoon lies in an effective monsoon-
governance strategy such as proven forewarning systems and rainfall forecasting,
institutional setup to ensure timely and assured input-output delivery system
including seed system, rural credit and crop insurance.
There should
be an enabling environment and capacity to develop and adopt water-saving
mechanisms such as drip irrigation, fertigation and other moisture conserving
practices.
The promotion of resource conserving practices is
essential for ensuring sustainable food production given the uncertain monsoon.
The system of rice intensification, hybrid rice, aerobic rice, zero tillage,
direct seeding rice practices, etc, are notable here.
Since the
small farmers are unable to invest in irrigation infrastructure, the government
plays a big role in fulfilling the social responsibility. The lesson learnt from
shallow tube well schemes in Assam is worth mentioning in terms of impact
management —— which transformed the perpetual deficit state to a
surplus rice-producing state.
(B C
Barah, Principal Scientist, National Centre for Agricultural Economics and
Policy Research, New Delhi)
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Opinion/ET-Debate/Effective-monsoon-governing-strategy-missing/articleshow/4787256.cms
Prepare for droughtEconomic Times - 16 hours ago If July witnesses good rainfall across north India, the kharif crop will recover substantially. If, however, July rainfall is seriously deficient for the ... Monday Market Monitor - India (WEEK 29) - Drought continuesSteelGuru - 11 hours ago Another factor, which may affect long product market in India, is the likely shortage of power due to reduced hydro generation, which would put small ... MP drought-hitIBNLive.com - Jul 9, 2009 ... the intensity is expected to increase and if that happens, then Sharad Pawar's confidence that there will be no drought in India will not be misplaced. ... No Signs of Drought in IndiaWall Street Journal - Jul 13, 2009 NEW DELHI -- There are no signs of drought in India despite below-normal monsoon rains, a senior meteorological official told the CNBC-TV18 television ... Fleeting Rains, Looming Drought to Hit Main CropsWall Street Journal - - 7 hours ago Associated Press Farmers sprinkle fertilizers on their rice crop on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Area under summer-sown crops ... Rains forecast in India's sugarcane, rice areasReuters India - - 3 hours ago An unusually dry June, which saw the lowest rainfall in more than eight decades, followed by below-normal rains in early July led to fears of drought, ... A primer on droughtsEconomic Times - - Jul 18, 2009 Maharashtra alone has about a quarter of India's drought-prone districts. About 50 million Indians are affected every year. Climate change is accelerating ... Woe of seven sisters: northeast heading for drought?SINDH TODAY - 8 hours ago Agartala/Shillong, July 20 (IANS) In India's northeast it has rained a little, but way too little. The weatherman has no pleasant news for states in the ... Mahindra Holidays lists up 7 pct, ends IPO droughtReuters India - Jul 16, 2009 ... as investors cheered the end of a 15-month drought in initial public offers (IPOs). Shares of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd (MAHH. ... Opposition wants drought declaredHindu - Jul 15, 2009 His demand for a discussion on drought was backed by Mulayam Singh of the Samajwadi Party and Basudeb Acharia of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), ... |
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Main Mumbai suspect pleads guilty
 Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab opened fire on commuters, it is alleged |
The leading suspect in last November's deadly attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) has pleaded guilty.
Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab stood up before the court to say he admitted his role in the killings.
Mr Qasab, who is a Pakistani, faces 86 charges, including waging war on India, murder and possessing explosives.
It
is not clear why he changed his plea after pleading not guilty in May
to all charges. More than 170 people died in the attacks, nine of them
gunmen.
Prosecutors say Mr Qasab is the sole surviving attacker.
He could face the death penalty if his confession is accepted and judges agree to impose the maximum penalty.
'Shocked'
The BBC's Prachi Pinglay, who was in the courtroom in Mumbai, said Mr Qasab appeared calm.
 | INSIDE COURT  Prachi Pinglay Mumbai Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab appeared very calm in court, smiling a number of times as his confession was being recorded. Now Pakistan has accepted he is a Pakistani national he wanted to confess, he told the court. Mr Qasab spoke lucidly for several hours, giving specific details of names of people he had met, the kind of training he had received and weapons he had used. He talked about his family and named his two brothers and two sisters. The judge will now meet prosecution and defence teams to hear their views about the change of plea. Legal experts say it is still not clear if the trial is over. |
He said there had been no pressure on him to confess and it had been his decision to do so.
"I request the court to accept my plea and pronounce the sentence," he told the judge, smiling.
Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said: "We were not expecting this. We were all shocked when he made a plea of guilt.
"It is for the court to decide whether to accept his plea or not. It was all of a sudden. The court is now recording his plea."
Shortly afterwards Mr Nikam told the BBC the confession was "a victory for the prosecution".
During
his testimony, the suspect gave details of his journey from Pakistan,
the attacks at a historic railway station in Mumbai and the city's Cama
hospital.
Mr Qasab's lawyer said he had nothing to do with the confession.
It is not fully clear what prompted Mr Qasab to change his plea.
He said he had done so because Pakistan had finally admitted he was a Pakistani citizen, but that was some time ago.
Police
say Mr Qasab confessed before a magistrate to the attacks after his
arrest, but he retracted that confession at an early hearing.
His lawyers said then that it had been coerced.
Wept in court
Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, 21, was arrested on the first day of the attacks and has been in Indian custody ever since.
| MAIN QASAB CHARGES Waging war on India Murder Conspiracy to murder Destabilising the government Kidnap Robbery Smuggling and possessing illegal arms and explosives  |
In his initial appearances before the court, Mr Qasab appeared relaxed and smiled and grinned.
But
more recently, he broke down and wept in court as a witness recounted
the violent events which took place over three days in late November.
The attacks led to a worsening of relationship between India and Pakistan.
India accused Pakistan-based fighters from the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks.
In
the immediate aftermath of the killings, Pakistan denied any
responsibility, but later admitted the attacks had been partly planned
on its soil.
Islamabad also eventually admitted that Mr Qasab was a Pakistani citizen.
KEY STORIES
ANALYSIS AND BACKGROUND
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
IN VIDEO
CCTV of gun battle on night of attacks
Shot Briton: 'He opened fire on us'
RELATED INTERNET LINKS
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
News feedshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8158741.stm
Drought in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Drought in India has resulted in tens of millions of deaths over the course of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Indian agriculture is heavily dependent on the climate of India: a favorable southwest summer monsoon
is critical in securing water for irrigating Indian crops. In some
parts of India, the failure of the monsoons result in water shortages,
resulting in below-average crop yields. This is particularly true of
major drought-prone regions such as southern and eastern Maharashtra,
northern Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
[edit] History
In the past, droughts have periodically led to major Indian famines, including the Bengal famine of 1770,
in which up to one third of the population in affected areas died; the
1876–1877 famine, in which over five million people died; and the 1899
famine, in which over 4.5 million died.[1][2]
[edit] Impact of El Niño
All such episodes of severe drought correlate with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events.[3][4] El Niño-related droughts have also been implicated in periodic declines in Indian agricultural output.[5]
Nevertheless, ENSO events that have coincided with abnormally high sea
surfaces temperatures in the Indian Ocean—in one instance during 1997
and 1998 by up to 3 °C (5 °F)—have resulted in increased oceanic
evaporation, resulting in unusually wet weather across India. Such
anomalies have occurred during a sustained warm spell that began in the
1990s.[6]
A contrasting phenomenon is that, instead of the usual high pressure
air mass over the southern Indian Ocean, an ENSO-related oceanic low
pressure convergence center forms; it then continually pulls dry air
from Central Asia, desiccating India during what should have been the
humid summer monsoon season. This reversed air flow causes India's
droughts.[7] The extent that an ENSO event raises sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean influences the degree of drought.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Allaby, M (1998), Floods, Facts on File, ISBN 0-8160-3520-2.
- Allaby, M (2002), Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate, Facts on File, ISBN 0-8160-4071-0.
- Balfour, E (1976), Encyclopaedia Asiatica: Comprising Indian Subcontinent, Eastern and Southern Asia, Cosmo Publications, ISBN 8170203252.
- Burroughs, WJ (1999), The Climate Revealed, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-77081-5.
- Caviedes, C (2001), El Niño in History: Storming Through the Ages, University Press of Florida, ISBN 0-8130-2099-9.
- Chouhan, TS (1992), Desertification in the World and Its Control, Scientific Publishers, ISBN 8-1723-3043-X.
- Collier, W & R Webb (2002), Floods, Droughts and Climate Change, University of Arizona Press, ISBN 0-8165-2250-2.
- Heitzman, J & RL Worden (1996), India: A Country Study, Library of Congress (Area Handbook Series), ISBN 0-8444-0833-6.
- Nash, JM (2002), El Niño: Unlocking the Secrets of the Master Weather Maker, Warner, ISBN 0-446-52481-6.
- Posey, CA (1994), The Living Earth Book of Wind and Weather, Reader's Digest Association, ISBN 0-8957-7625-1.
- Singh, VP; CSP Ojha & N Sharma (2004), The Brahmaputra Basin Water Resources, Springer, ISBN 1-4020-1737-5.
[edit] Citations
- ^ Nash 2002, pp. 22-23.
- ^ Collier & Webb 2002, p. 67.
- ^ a b Kumar
KK, Rajagopatan B, Hoerling M., Bates G, Cane M (2006). "Unraveling the
Mystery of Indian Monsoon Failure During El Niño". Science 314 (5796): 115–119. doi:. - ^ Caviedes 2001, p. 121
- ^ Caviedes 2001, p. 259.
- ^ Nash 2002, pp. 258-259.
- ^ Caviedes 2001, p. 117.
[edit] Further reading
- Toman, MA; U Chakravorty & S Gupta (2003), India and Global Climate Change: Perspectives on Economics and Policy from a Developing Country, Resources for the Future Press, ISBN 1-8918-5361-9.
[edit] External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Atlas of India |
General overview
- "Country Guide: India". BBC Weather. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/country_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT002240.
- "India—Weather and Climate". High Commission of India, London. http://www.hcilondon.net/tourism-information/weather.html.
Maps, imagery, and statistics
- "India Meteorological Department". Government of India. http://www.imd.gov.in/.
- "Weather Resource System for India". National Informatics Centre. http://www.weather.nic.in/.
Forecasts
- "India: Current Weather Conditions". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/IN_cc.html.
TERROR CURVE Sharpest to ENVELOP Hillary Arms!
With Clinton’s nuclear assurance; India, US to hold reprocessing talks!
uly 19th, 2009 - 3:51 pm ICT by IANS
-
New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) With Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
making it clear that the future of the India-US nuclear deal is secure
despite the G8 declaration on the transfer of sensitive technologies,
the two countries will hold talks in Vienna next week on reprocessing
American-origin spent fuel.
Undeterred by the G8 declaration this month on banning the transfer
of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies to those countries
that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), India
is likely to announce two sites for American nuclear reactors after
Clinton’s talks with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna here
Monday.
These sites are likely to be in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, reliable sources told IANS.
In another important step to implement the India-US civil nuclear
accord signed last year, Indian and American officials will hold talks
in Vienna July 21 to reach an agreement on arrangements and procedures
for reprocessing spent fuel.
With the difficult experience of the US-assisted Tarapur reactor in
the past, India wants to ensure there are no glitches this time round
on the issue of reprocessing.
The negotiation on reprocessing to be done in a safeguarded facility
in India, according to the 123 agreement, has to be completed within a
year after it begins.
Richard Stratford, director of the Office of Nuclear Energy Affairs
in the State Department, will lead the American side. A five-member
technical committee will be headed by R.B. Grover, director (strategic
planning group) in the Atomic Energy Commission.
The US is understood to have handed to India a draft earlier this month that could form the basis for the Vienna talks.
The transfer of sensitive reprocessing technologies is currently barred under the US law save for exceptions like Japan.
With the G8 declaration at the L’Aquila summit banning the export of
the sensitive ENR technologies, India will seek clarifications on the
reprocessing issue from the US when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
External Affairs Minister Krishna meet Clinton.
India has said it will go by a country-specific clean waiver it has
received from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
In an interview to the Times Now after landing in Mumbai Thursday,
Clinton stressed that “the civil nuclear deal stands on its own merit”.
“No. I worked hard to pass the India-US civil nuke deal and am very
committed to it and its implementation,” Clinton replied when asked if
the nuclear deal will be held hostage to India signing the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Clinton, however, stressed that the US will seek India’s help in
preventing the proliferation of nuclear technologies to non-state
actors and countries like Iran and North Korea.
S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday called
on Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence here and discussed
several issues, including cross-border terrorism and Indo-US relations.
Clinton went to Gandhi's residence at 10, Janpath, after meeting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani.
Sonia Gandhi's son, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, was also present during the meeting.
Sonia Gandhi, who is also chairperson of the
ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), voiced optimism about the
future of India-US relations and expressed concern on the use of
terrorism by Pakistan against India, according to party sources.
Earlier in the day, Clinton for met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who hosted her to a lunch.
Is India winning or losing? We live in an age of manias and phobias. ... ranging from a nation of caste-bound and poverty-ridden pack of ... cannot start before it becomes abundantly clear that New India means business!
Rains have always played an important role in the Indian economy.Between the two monsoon seasons – the south-west monsoon
(June-September) and the post monsoon/north-east monsoon
(October-December) – the focus usually centres on the former, as it
accounts for about 80% of India’s total rainfall.
In the past
two decades, most of the major droughts were caused by deficient
rainfall in July, usually the wettest month of the south-west monsoon.
Such
deviations have adversely affected agricultural production, and
therefore overall GDP growth. In recent years, 2002 was one of the
worst droughts, as grain production declined, dragging down
agricultural growth significantly.
This Monsoon, India has a GUEST who sells US ARMS and WARS ! The SUPER Sales woman has everything in her purse infinite! Wars and civil wars, foreign relations, environment, climate, woman and child welfare, education, shining India dream and India to be Nuclear super Power!
What a Monsoon!
This MONSOON, in fact the HORRIBLE Premier of DROUGHT, has focused on Indo Us Nuke deal, Defence Pacts, Arms bargain, strategic Realliance in US Israel Lead, War against Terror, Indo Pak USA Triangular instead of Climate, Weather and Harvest! It is quite different for us!
For a person like me who was born and brought up amidst Himalayan Monsoon, it is rather the Experience to be amidst some THRILLER of a dreading Horror Film!
I grew up as a helping hand in a Peasant family in the Terai! My people, the Bengali Refugges from east Bengal, had been trown in the Dense Forest of plague, malaria, wild animals in nainital Terai! I opened my eyes and saw the Jungle around me which hosted Gim Corbett once upon a time!
I had never been in East Bengal and I have no idea what meant monsoon for my ancestors! But I had the feeling while I invested the best of my childhood time to help my family working hard day and night in our fields during Rain as well as heat!
We never experienced DROUGHT there but we had to encounter Heavy Rain during Monsoon and we ENJOYED it every time! We used to swim in our fields! It often rained for almost a week! But we never faced any FLOOD! Floods were introduced with Intense Deforestation and Big Dams later!
Even my student life is full of MONSOON Memories, Rain and rain, Land slides and Romance!
But MONSOON has changed with Global warming and climate Change in this part of the GLOBE! Rivers have been sold out! Big Dams stops the Lifelines from my Home, the Himalayas!
Former FIRST Lady of United States of America has rather INTRODUCED a DIFFERENT Monsoon EXPERIENCE!
Meanwhile,Opposition
parties on Monday slammed the government for ignoring the interests of
farmers and said funds allocated in the General Budget for agriculture
ministry were not sufficient.
Participating in the debate on demands
for grants for the Agriculture Ministry, Rewati Raman Singh (SP) said
farmers in Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka were committing suicide
despite the loan waiver announced by the Centre.He claimed children of farmers were not ready to take up the profession and were ready to work as peons.
Mr. Singh said while 58 per cent of
country's population was involved in agriculture and related
activities, the government has neglected the farmers.He said in the absence of cold storage facilities, 40 per cent of fruits and vegetables were getting damaged.
The SP member suggested that the
government set up bio-fertiliser plants in both public and private
sector to help farmers get sufficient fertilisers.
He also demanded a 'white paper' on the condition of agriculture sector in the country.
Vijay Bahadur Singh (BSP) lamented that
while 62 per cent of the population was dependent on agriculture, the
budgetary provisions were a mere one per cent. "For 62 per cent people
you provide only one per cent, and for the rest 38 per cent the
allocation is 99 per cent," he added.
Those were the days while MONSOON meant Culture, Folk, Songs, dance, Literature, Poetry, Love and Romance! Now, it is associated with Repression, Ethnic cleansing, SELL Off, Big Projects to feed the Killer machine, Retail chain, Displacement and Exodus, Freesensex and GROWTH Rate! monsoon remains the bandles of hard datas and False Statics as the Inflation Rate anouncements!
The Bombay
Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Monday regained the 15,000 level by
gaining nearly 272 points in opening trade, extending last weeks' gains
on increased capital inflows by foreign funds, supported by
better-than-expected earnings by some blue-chip companies.
Firm Asian equity markets also supported the rally.
The 30-share index again breached
15,000 points level to trade 271.83 points, or 1.45 per cent higher at
15,016.75 points in the first five minutes of trade, a level last seen
on July 6. The sensex had surged by nearly over 9 per cent last week.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 78.50 points, or 1.53 per cent to 4,453.45 points.
Stock brokers said announcement of
better-than-expected quarterly results by some blue-chip companies this
earning season so far mainly buoyed the trading sentiments, sparked-off
buying activity.
They said firming global cues after positive US housing data also influenced the domestic markets' sentiments.
Shares of oil and gas, power, realty and IT sectors were in good demand, attributing major support to the Sensex.
Reliance Industries stocks were in keen
demand and shot up by 3.44 per cent to Rs 2,020 as the Supreme Court
begins hearing a case related to a gas pact between the RIL and RNRL.
Thus BLOOMBERG.COM reports:
India Rain Deficit to Narrow, Aiding Crop Sowing (Update1)
By Thomas Kutty Abraham
July 16 (Bloomberg) -- India’s monsoon deficit will drop
below 20 percent by end of this month as rains increase, easing
a dry spell that’s dented sowing of crops in the world’s second-
biggest producer of rice, wheat and sugar.
The shortfall for the season started June 1 narrowed to 27
percent as of yesterday from 45 percent last month, the India
Meteorological Department, said. Falls were 6 percent more than
the long-period average for the week ended July 15, the first
weekly surplus this year, the weather office said.
Rains have intensified since July 8, helping allay fears of
a drought undermining Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s efforts to
push economic growth back to a 9 percent pace. A deficit of as
much as 50 percent earlier this month in the northwest region,
the nation’s grain bowl, has dimmed prospects for bigger crops
of rice, oilseeds and sugar cane.
“The good news is that the current active phase of the
monsoon has helped alleviate drought fears,” D. Sivananda Pai,
a director at the weather bureau said in a phone interview from
Pune today. “Most parts will continue to receive good rains,
though the northwest remains a bit of a concern.”
The formation of a low-pressure weather system over the Bay
of Bengal may bring more rain starting July 20, A.B. Mazumdar,
deputy director general at the weather office, said today from
Pune. The current spell across paddy, oilseeds and cane growing
areas will persist for at least two days, he said.
India got 220.5 millimeters (8.68 inches) of rains between
June 1 and July 15, compared with the 50-year average of 300.8
millimeters, the weather bureau said. Falls were deficient in 22
of the 36 weather divisions, down from 25 in the previous week.
Rice Crop
Area planted to rice in the past week has risen 76 percent
from the previous week, Farm Minister Sharad Pawar said in New
Delhi today. That compares with a 20 percent drop in crop area
to 7.43 million hectares on July 10.
“Rains have improved in the last one week and there seems
to be no shortage in sowing of paddy,” Pawar told reporters.
The monsoon is the main source of irrigation water for the
nation’s 235 million farmers as more than half the crop land
isn’t irrigated. Sowing begins in June and ends mostly by July.
An El Nino that’s forming over the Pacific Ocean may not
impact the June-September rains, Pai said. The weather event,
which occurs about every four to seven years, causes dry weather
conditions in many Asian countries.
“By the time the El Nino phenomenon peaks, a better part
of the monsoon would have been over,” he said. “It may impact
the last leg of the rains in September.”
India got below normal rains in 15 of the 36 El Nino years
it had in the 1875-2008 period, the weather office said June 24.
Showers this season may be below normal, or 93 percent of
the long-period mean of 89 centimeters (35 inches), the bureau
said last month. In April, it forecast rains to be near normal.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Thomas Kutty Abraham in Mumbai at
tabraham4@bloomberg.net.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aEwjnzeLyJVg
And see this:
Monsoon picks up; govt says no need to panic
 |
By Mayank Bhardwaj and Rajesh Kumar Singh
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has a contingency plan if annual
monsoon rains remain below normal and there is no need panic, the
finance minister said on Wednesday.
India has suffered the worst start to the vital monsoon in eight
decades, raising fears of a drought in a country where only 40 percent
of farmland is irrigated.
But the rains have picked up from a shortfall of 34 percent of the
long-term average in the June 1-July 9 period, to 29 percent between
June 1 and July 14, weather officials told Reuters.
The weather office on Wednesday forecast rains in key cotton, rice
and soy regions, including widespread precipitation in the next 48
hours in central India, boosting the soybean crop.
"There has been some concern on the progress of the monsoon. As I
mentioned earlier, the government is monitoring the situation," Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee told parliament.
India was ready to implement a contingency plan, he said, but did not elaborate.
"At the same time I would not like to press the panic button," he added.
Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have killed 15 people
in Orissa, but in Assam and Manipur authorities have declared droughts
after scant rain. Continued...
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other top leaders, as part of
her visit to the country.
Indian relations with Pakistan are thought to be high on the agenda, along with education and technology.
The countries are also expected to sign deals on arms sales and the building of US-funded nuclear plants.
Correspondents say the visit aims to show the US is committed to broadening its ties with Delhi.
Addressing
students at Delhi University ahead of the talks, Mrs Clinton said the
US wanted to "deepen our strategic understanding" with India and find
more common ground.
As well as Mr Singh, Mrs Clinton has held talks with the leader of the opposition, Lal Krishna Advani.
Drought threat is looming large over north India. Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir have received only
half the normal amount of rain that they get by this time of the year..Though hard data on the India economy continues to improve, uncertainty over the monsoons is weighing on sentiment!
As
per the latest report released by the Indian Meteorological Department
(IMD), the cumulative seasonal rainfall for the country as a whole from
1 June to 9July was 34% below the long period average (LPA) – if
rainfall is below 10% of the LPA it constitutes a drought.
More importantly, the distribution remains highly skewed, with the north-west region of the country being the worst hit.
Specifically,
the important crop-producing states such as Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand,
Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat
region have witnessed rainfall deficiency of 60% or more.
If
the situation does not improve, it will have an impact on agricultural
growth, economic activity, fiscal deficit, inflation, and overall
market sentiment. We have analyzed the impact of such events in the
past to better understand the probable effect on the economy should the
monsoons turn out to be detrimental.
In the event of a
drought, adverse impact on growth and inflation is inevitable. But the
effects should be relatively less severe than in prior years
A drought in India's major tea growing region has led to a dramatic
fall in production during the first quarter of the year, industry
officials said Sunday.
Tea growers in the northeastern state of Assam say they produced
12,000-15,000 tons less tea in the first quarter than in the same
period last year because of insufficient rain, said Dhiraj Kakati, head
of the Assam Branch Indian Tea Association.
Assam and neighboring states account for more than 70 percent of the
more than 1 million tons produced by India's $1.5 billion tea industry.
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says that publicly Mrs Clinton
has insisted that what Pakistan and India do is completely up to them.
However,
he says that everyone in Delhi is clear that it was pressure from
Washington that pushed the countries to hold talks in Egypt last week.
Pakistan-India
relations dominated Mrs Clinton's visit to Mumbai on Saturday, in the
wake of attacks on the city last November that left more than 170
people dead.
India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the
attack. Much of the US focus in the region has been on countering
militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
India's junior foreign minister, Shashi Tharoor, told the BBC that Delhi and Washington shared similar concerns on security.
"We
believe that terrorism of any stripe needs to be tackled firmly and we
believe Washington is on the same page as us," he said.
BBC reports:
Climate disagreements
Mrs Clinton is spending three full days in India. She departs on Tuesday.
On
Sunday, talks in Delhi focused on climate change, which remains a
sensitive subject for developing countries such as India and China,
which have so far refused to commit to carbon emissions cuts in a new
treaty.
 Ms Clinton has also met opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani |
Mrs Clinton also sought to assure India the US would not try to impose conditions that might affect India's economic growth.
But Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said his government could not accept targets that would limit economic growth.
India argues the US must do more as it has been historically to blame for the emissions.
Mrs Clinton later told reporters she was optimistic a deal on climate change could be reached.
The
key date for climate change is December - when a summit in Copenhagen
will look to forge a new international treaty that will replace the
Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Meanwhile,Activists of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) held a
demonstration in the national capital, on Wednesday over irregularities
in the distribution of Below Poverty Line (BPL) social security cards.Scores of SUCI activists marched to Delhi state secretariat, raising
slogans against the government, alleging that Delhi government is
laidback in issuing BPL cards.
“Today our main demand is that people of this (Delhi) region that
are living Below Poverty Line (BPL) have not yet received BPL cards.
Many people have applied for these cards but so many years have passed
and they are yet to receive BPL cards,” said Pratap Samal, State
Secretary of SUCI.
“People who have given cards for renewal have not received them back,” Samal added.
Meanwhile, a member of parliament belonging to SUCI alleged that BPL
cards are being issued to people living above poverty line, which is a
gross misuse of the facility.
“Taking the Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards there are lots of delay
dealings, there are lots of corruption and there are nepotism. Those
parties who are in power either in the state or the central government
they are using these BPL cards for Above Poverty Line (APL).” said a
member of parliament of SUCI.
“The real people are not getting the BPL facilities,” the member added.
BPL cardholders are entitled to get subsidised food grains from the government.
Standard Chartered Bank has said that the country's growth this fiscal could dip to 6 per cent in the case of a drought but the
government's fiscal measures should prevent it from falling further.
"...growth could dip to below 6 per cent (we forecast 6.4 per cent for FY'10) in the event of a drought, support from fiscal measures should prevent it from falling more dramatically," Standard Chartered Bank said in a report.
It further said that a slowdown in personal consumption expenditure, which contributed 55 per cent of overall GDP in the last fiscal, is inevitable, should the rains fail, as the agriculture sector employs 52 per cent of the total labour force.
It added that drought would also have an adverse effect on the industrial sector.
As per the latest report released by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the cumulative seasonal rainfall for the country as a whole from June 1 to July 9 was 34 per cent below the long period average (LPA). A rainfall below 10 per cent of the LPA constitutes a drought, the report said.
Recently, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE),an economic think-tank, has revised down India's growth forecast to 5.8 per cent in the current fiscal on account of lower agricultural output and slower industrial recovery due to the poor progress of monsoon.
Tackle climate change now: Scientists
As leaders of the world's 13 major countries prepare to meet at the G8+5 summit in Italy this week, 24 leading scientists from these action to combat climate change. "We come together to call on our government leaders to recognise both the unacceptable risks that climate change creates for our societies, and the unprecedented opportunities a clean energy, low-carbon transition creates for our economies," the scientists said in a joint appeal. The appeal appeared as an advertisement in the International Herald Tribune newspaper Tuesday. The scientists asked the leaders of the industrialised eight and developing five countries to take five specific steps at their summit this week: * Recognise that present global warming of 0.8 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels is already having a significant impact, and that warming exceeding 2 degrees Celsius predicted for later this century would create great risks and have irreversible consequences. * Commit to peak global greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2020 and reduce these by at least 50 percent relative to 1990 levels by 2050. * For developed countries, commit to emissions reductions of at least 80 percent relative to 1990 by 2050 with appropriate intermediate targets set in time for Copenhagen (the next climate summit scheduled this December). * For developing countries, commit by Copenhagen summit to significant gains in energy efficiency, reductions in carbon intensity, and cuts in non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades; this should be designed to support sustainable development and to lead to substantial reduction from business-as-usual emissions. * Recognise that the impacts of existing changes in climate are primarily due to past emissions by developed nations, and that unless the burden of poverty in developing nations is alleviated by significant financial support for mitigation, adaptation, and the reduction of deforestation, that ability of developing countries to pursue sustainable development is likely to diminish, to the economic and environmental detriment of all. The scientists who signed the appeal included: Kamal Bawa of the University of Massachusetts in the US; Kirit and Jyoti Parikh of the Indira Gandhi Institute for Development Research in Mumbai; Martin Parry of the Imperial College in London and a former lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Robert Costanza of the University of Vermont (US); Hironori Hamanaka of Keio University (Japan); John Houghton of the British Meteorological Office; Gordon McBean of the Royal Society of Canada; Anthony J. McMichael of the Australian National University; Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (Germany); and Henning Rodhe of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences  They said: "The world is looking to the MEF leaders to act on this challenge and to seize this immense opportunity. The time for bold leadership is now." | |
Globalist Perspective > Global Diplomacy Time to Reset U.S.-India Relations | |
By W. Pal Sidhu | Monday, July 20, 2009 |
With
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton concluding her visit to India
today, the EastWest Institute’s W. Pal Sidhu examines creative ways in
which the two countries can build on the successful civilian nuclear
deal. Security and counter-terrorism continue to be important, he
argues, but Afghanistan’s development may prove to be a key issue as
well.
illaryClinton's first visit to India as U.S. Secretary of State, within the
first six months of the Obama Administration, is significant for
several reasons.
First, it is the clearest indication that the new U.S.
administration is committed to building and expanding on the
relationship established by the previous administrations, especially
that of George W. Bush.
|
Second, given Clinton’s own political gravitas in the United
States — especially her historic presidential run and her reputation as
an avid supporter and friend of India — this messenger is more
important than the message she will bring.
Even her itinerary, which deliberately (if somewhat
inconveniently and artificially) leaves out Pakistan, is perhaps
reflective of the efforts being made to “de-hyphenate” the
India-Pakistan relationship and focus on India alone. Clearly, this
administration is determined to "reset" U.S.-India relations at a
higher plane.
The significance of the Clinton visit notwithstanding, she is
not the first senior member of the Obama Administration to visit India.
In fact, she is also not the second. Leon Panetta made history of sorts
when he became the first CIA chief to visit India in his first outing
in March. This visit was clearly prompted by the terrorist events in
Mumbai last November and the realization in Washington that the
atrocities that were committed in India could be exported to the United
States.
The visit led to an unprecedented level of intelligence
cooperation. Similarly, the visit by National Security Adviser General
Jim Jones in late June and his discussions on Iran, energy and defense
ties was another indication of the growing strategic ties between the
world’s oldest and largest democracies.
The Clinton visit will undoubtedly continue this promising trend
in Indo-U.S. ties, which is being built on the initiatives taken during
the eight previous years of the Bush Administration. Indeed, the
crowning glory of the bilateral strategic partnership was the
controversial India-U.S. civilian nuclear cooperation agreement — which
succeeded despite the fact that it nearly brought down the previous
government in New Delhi and remains unpopular in many corners of
Washington, D.C.
|
Unlike the Bush Administration, which was ideologically driven
and dominated by neo-conservatives, the Obama Administration will not
rebuild fences where they already exist. But it will probably give them
a fresh coat of paint.
Even before the Clinton visit, it was apparent that the new
pragmatism in Washington will not "reset" the Indo-U.S. relations to a
pre-Bush era.
For instance, Phil Gordon of the Brookings Institution and a
nominee for a senior State Department position notes: “In an ideal
world, rejection of the nuclear deal would preserve the sanctity of the
nuclear non-proliferation regime… In the world we live in, however, it
would do little to prevent non-proliferation and significantly harm
India, the United States and their ability to do good things together.”
Similarly, Richard Holbrooke, the special envoy for South Asia,
has at the insistence of New Delhi dropped the Kashmir issue from his
portfolio. Although this might be to the detriment of India in the long
run, he is now solely focused on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This pragmatism notwithstanding, there is a need to reset some
aspects of the Indo-U.S. relationship so that the world’s two biggest
democracies can do good things together. First, the relationship should
go beyond just the nuclear agreement — otherwise there is a real
concern that it may become uni-dimensional.
This could be done by looking for greater cooperation on new
security issues such as cyber-security (given the vulnerability of the
Indian software industry to cyber attacks), climate change (akin to the
green partnership being considered between China and the United States)
and maritime security (especially protecting the trade routes against
piracy).
On cyber-security, India and the United States could work
closely with each other, and perhaps Russia and China as well. The
nations need to develop at least some basic norms and a common lexicon
to ensure the presence of clear red lines — so as to avoid an
inadvertent lapse into cyber-warfare.
|
Similarly, climate change has the potential to become a divisive
issue if not addressed cooperatively. This is certainly the Chinese
perspective, which has led them to work with the United States on
building a "green partnership."
In addition, although India and the United States have had some
maritime cooperation (evident in the joint tsunami rescue operations),
there is potential for greater cooperation — especially in anti-piracy
operations.
Finally, perhaps for the first time, Washington and New Delhi
share the same deep anxiety about counter-terrorism, Pakistan and
Afghanistan. They should explore the possibility of positive engagement
in these spheres of mutual concern.
In the counter-terrorism sphere, India and the United States
should build on the cooperation between the Indian intelligence
agencies and the CIA. After all, this led to the first-ever public
admission by Pakistan of the role of their nationals in one of the most
dramatic incidents on Indian soil. In a similar vein, India should also
seek greater coordination and cooperation of its role in Afghanistan in
the context of U.S.-led operations.
This does not necessarily mean military cooperation (although it
might be in India’s interest to work closely with the United States and
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force), but it could mean
integrating New Delhi’s impressive Afghanistan assistance program with
that of other key countries operating in Afghanistan.
The Indian model of development assistance in Afghanistan has
been widely praised and should be promoted as new initiatives are
launched in Afghanistan.
The Clinton visit provides a promising opportunity to widen and
deepen the strategic Indo-U.S. relations. However, unless the new
Congress-led government in New Delhi is more pragmatic and imaginative,
it could be that Indo-U.S. relations will wear the same old coat of
paint.
http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=7885
- Views
A revival of the nuclear issue?
Arundhati Ghose
secretary of state Hillary Clinton is in town today, with the stated
purpose of consolidating and pushing further the new directions in
Indo-US strategic and economic relations, created over the last
half-decade. On her agenda, she has indicated priority to both global
and bilateral relations. At the global level are climate change and
non-proliferation, and there are several issues at the bilateral level,
including the “operationalization” of the iconic Indo-US civilian
nuclear agreement. India, too, is bound to have its own agenda. In an
otherwise fairly upbeat scenario, a small and abstruse element in
bilateral nuclear relations has thrust itself to the forefront.
reported that at the recently concluded Group of Eight, or G-8, summit
in Italy, the G-8 countries had “blocked ‘full’ nuclear trade with
India” and had imposed a “ban on ENR (enrichment and reprocessing)
sales” to India. The relevant part of this G-8 declaration reads:
“While noting that the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) has not yet
reached consensus on this issue, we agree that the NSG discussions have
yielded useful and constructive proposals contained in the NSG’s clean
text developed at the November 20, 2008 consultative group meeting.
Pending completion of work in the NSG, we agree to implement the text
on a national basis in the next year.” The “clean text” referred to is
not a public document, and it is somewhat confusing that TheHindu relied
on a comment by an unnamed diplomat from a G-8 country that
non-membership of NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty) was an agreed
criterion for restrictions on ENR transfers should have led to such a
conclusion. Nonetheless, the issue has raised concerns both in the
public mind and in Parliament. It is clear, though, that G-8 does not
refer to India or NPT, nor does it refer to a ban on exports to India.
is, however, agreement in NSG that the transfers of technology and
material related to ENR by those who possess them should be
restricted—it is clear from the beginning of the paragraph that the
context in which the increased restrictions are being considered is the
so-called nuclear “renaissance”. What is not agreed is to whom these
should not be exported. It has been agreed that a criteria-based
approach should be used to identify those who are to be denied these
technologies and materials, but there is no agreement on what those
criteria should be. Certainly, the inclusion of countries which are not
members of NPT—a so-called “objective” criterion—is on the table,
proposed by the US, but so are other criteria, such as countries that
do not already possess such technologies, countries in volatile areas,
countries that have not signed an additional protocol with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), countries that are not of
good standing (a “subjective” criterion) and so on. There is no
agreement to date in NSG, which works by consensus.
sake of clarification for the general reader, ENR technologies could
enable countries to produce nuclear weapons, through uranium enriched
beyond 95% and plutonium reprocessed from spent fuel from nuclear power
reactors. India already has both technologies, though access to global
technologies may help in upgrading facilities—should that be required
in the future.
issue of restricting transfers of ENR technologies and materials, NSG
agreed to “exceptionalize” India and waived the guidelines that had
restricted global civilian nuclear cooperation with India. India, in
return, had made certain non-proliferation commitments—such as
continuing the moratorium on testing and support for the objectives of
non-proliferation. The question that has been raised is whether the G-8
exhortation— which in itself is non-specific and certainly not aimed at
India— would lead to a formulation in NSG which, in effect, would open
up the waiver of September 2008.
clarified that France, a member of G-8, has assured him of “full”
civilian nuclear cooperation; the finance minister has relied on the
acceptance by IAEA and NSG of India’s “exceptionalization”. Is it
likely that those countries which have individually and formally
informed IAEA of the change in their laws following the NSG waiver of
September last would change their laws again—against India? Perhaps.
But would the criterion of non-NPT membership contribute to the goal of
non-proliferation at a time of nuclear renaissance? There are only four
countries that are not members of NPT—Israel, India, Pakistan and North
Korea. And all are known to be nuclear-armed; therefore, all possess
ENR technology. The only purpose to include such a criterion would be
to try and pressure these countries to join NPT.
are today wary of the non-proliferation policies of the new Obama
administration may be justified if the linkage to NPT is the case. The
Indo-US nuclear agreement was meant to remove the nuclear thorn in the
side of Indo-US relations. Even if this issue is not on the agenda of
secretary of state Clinton, the opportunity should not be missed to
clarify issues rather than permit a potential irritant to fester.
http://www.livemint.com/2009/07/19211810/A-revival-of-the-nuclear-issue.html?h=B
Bed here, bite there | ||
| ANANYA SENGUPTA | ||
New Delhi, July 19: Below Hillary For This The Officials Hillary But Bukhara Hillary Asked One |
Lawyers perplexed at Kasab's dramatic confession
Mumbai (PTI) The dramatic confession of
the lone surviving gunman Abdul Kasab admitting his crime in the Mumbai
terror attacks triggered a collective gasp in the court room and left
lawyers perplexed raising questions whether it was voluntary or a ploy.
Ujwal Nikam, the Special Public
Prosecutor in the high-voltage case, admitted he was "surprised" at the
"unexpected" confession for the first time in the court hailing it as
as a big victory for the prosecution.
He said Kasab(21) may have realised
that the "cat is out of the bag" after 134 witnesses gave evidence
against him since the trial began in April.
But another criminal lawyer Satish
Manishinde counselled caution saying it should be known whether the
"belated" confession was voluntary and whether he was coerced or got
any instructions even though there was "clinching evidence to his
involvement.
The action of the Pakistani national
pleading guilty on the 65th day of his trial in the high security
Arthur road prison left those in the special court shocked.
And Judge M.L. Tahiliyani, who was
apparently taken aback, called lawyers from both sides to figure out
the significance of Kasab's statement.
"We are surprised that Kasab has abruptly taken this stand (of confessing to involvement in 26/11 attacks)," Nikam said.
"Everybody in the court was shocked the
moment he said he accepts his crime. It was unexpected," he said,
adding," We are minutely assessing what he admitted in court," he said.
Harish Salve, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, said it is not clear if Kasab confessed voluntarily.
"I hope it is not a ploy and he doesn't come the day after and give it another twist,"he said.
Policemen claim Kasab's confession reveals 'Pak's role'
Mumbai (PTI) Policemen, who were in the
team that arrested Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman in the Mumbai
attack, on Monday said his confession to the crime was a "smart act"
after being cornered and exposed Pakistan's hand.
N R Mali, Senior Inspector D B Marg
police station (who was also instrumental in arresting Kasab) said,
"Kasab should have confessed long back..Now after two months into the
trial he realised that everything is going against him and that he is
in trouble..so he smartly confessed..."
"Kasab's confession has revealed
Pakistan before the whole world..," said Sanjay Govilkar, Assistant
police inspector D B Marg police station who was injured while
arresting Kasab at Girgaum Chowpatty said.
Govilkar said, "The moment we arrested
Kasab, he acted as if he was unconscious and when he was admitted to
the hospital he started speaking...this clearly shows the training he
has undergone as to how to trick police officials. I am hoping that
Kasab is hanged to death thus briging justice to Tukaram Ombale who
fell victim to Kasab's bullets and other victims."
Govilkar, who was injured near his wais
when one of Kasab's bullets scraped through him, added, "I managed to
escape death by a whisker..if that bullet had pierced through me then
after Ombale it would have been my turn."
Kasab's confession proves need for GUJCOC, MCOCA-like laws: BJP
New Delhi (PTI) Claiming that the
confession of key accused Ajmal Kasab in Mumbai attack trial was a
"success" for MCOCA which was invoked against him, the BJP on Monday
said it should convince UPA government to give its consent to a similar
anti-terror bill passed by Gujarat.
"Kasab's confession is a step forward.
MCOCA was imposed on him due to the deficiency of earlier laws.... This
is the success of MCOCA," Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha
Sushma Swaraj said.
Pitching for passing of anti-terror
bills patterned on Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA)
and the scrapped POTA passed by BJP-led state governments, Swaraj said
the UPA government should now give its assent to them.
GUJCOC, the anti-terror bill passed by
the Narendra Modi Government in Gujarat which makes confession made
before a police officer admissible in a court of law, has been rejected
twice by the Centre despite being passed by the state government.
Mr. Modi has pledged to pass GUJCOC again and send it to the Centre for its assent.
Anti-terror bills formulated on the lines of GUJCOC by other BJP governments have also failed to get the Centre's nod.
MS, Clinton tie-up offers free GHG on-line tool for cities
Washington (PTI) As US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton tries to rope in India in combating climate
change, Microsoft has teamed up with her husband's NGO to create a free
on-line tool for global cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, to monitor
their greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions.
Microsoft, the global software firm,
has created the online carbon accounting tool called 'Project 2
Degrees' for cities across the world to monitor their GHG emissions and
open up an area for enterprise software companies to provide the best
tools for the job.
Cities account for only two per cent of
the world's land mass but produce up to 75 per cent of worldwide
greenhouse gas emissions, so they became the focus for 'Project 2
Degrees' that is a collaboration with software designers Autodesk and
the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a programme launched by former US
President Bill Clinton.
"This is a long journey for our
governments, be they local or national, but we could have the biggest
impact by working with local governments as they have the ability to
measure what's happening locally in terms of greenhouse gas emissions
and to have an effect on the local economy and the local environment
first," Matt Miszewski, Microsoft's general manager for Worldwide
E-government, said.
Oil Ministry not to let RIL off hook for MoU with ADAG
New Delhi (PTI) The government has not
let Reliance Industries off the hook for signing a private MoU with a
firm run by Anil Ambani Group to divide entire gas volumes from KG
basin fields, thus holding industrial development to ransom, the
Petroleum Ministry said on Monday.
"We for the first time got to know from
the Bombay High Court judgment (of last month) that all volumes beyond
28 mmscmd committed to (Anil Ambani's) RNRL and 12 mmscmd to NTPC were
divided between RIL and RNRL in 60:40 ratio," Petroleum Secretary R.S.
Pandey told reporters here.
Peak gas out from KG-D6 fields may be 100-120 million standard cubic meters per day.
"The MoU also states that they are free
to price the volumes beyond those locked in litigations. So
practically, RIL may transfer KG-D6 gas for use in its refineries and
petrochemical plants at USD 1 per mmBtu," he said.
Other industries will be dependent on
the mercy of RIL and RNRL to get the scarce fuel, he said, adding that
the government filed a petition in Supreme Court to get the MoU
declared null and void to prevent such appropriation of natural
resource through private agreements.
"We have so far not taken any action
against RIL as it has so far not done anything in contravention to the
gas pricing and utilisation policy as derived from Production Sharing
Contract," Mr. Pandey said. "I cannot today say that no action will be
taken."
Media picks up sensational issues, not real ones: CBI chief
New Delhi (PTI) CBI Director Ashwani
Kumar on Monday took a dig at the media saying it was only giving
prominence to sensational issues.
Mr. Kumar, some of whose decisions had come under attack, had a word of advice on 'investigative journalism'.
"A serious journalist will try to
understand the whole scheme of things and then he will arrive at his
opinion based on objective inputs. As it is, it runs counter to
investigative journalism...(sic) Even national dailies are not free
from this malaise."
Mr. Kumar said dependence on advertisements has led to compromising commitment of professional mediapersons.
The media establishments are dependent
on advertisements and this tendency, particularly in TV channels, is
compromising the commitment of professional mediapersons.
"As professional media managers, you
(reporters) can cherish the values of propriety and balanced writing in
exposing corruption in India. You should stand resolutely against any
blockade in the area of professionalism in media," he said in an
interaction with journalists at the CBI headquarters here.
India isn't under obligation to take emission cut target: Govt.
New Delhi (PTI) India is not under any
obligation to take any emission reduction target and has asked
developed nations to go for deep and ambitious carbon cut for the
second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol commencing 2013, Rajya
Sabha was informed on Monday.
"There is no obligation for India under
the provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC)
and its Kyoto Protocol to take any emission reduction target,"
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in a written reply.
On the other hand, he added, "India has
urged developed nations to take deep and ambitious emission reduction
targets for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol starting
from 2013."
The Minister said the government was
committed to implementing the National Action Plan on Climate Change
(NAPCC) envisaging eight national missions in specific areas and
several other initiatives that will have co-benefits in terms of global
warming.
"The documents in respect of the
national missions are at various stages of finalisation and will be
implemented after approval of the Prime Minister's Council on Climate
Change," he further added.
'Annual mean temperature for country has risen by .52 degrees'
New Delhi (PTI) Annual mean temperature
for the country as a whole has risen by .52 degree celsius in the past
107 years since 1901, according to a data analysis by the Met
department, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
In his reply to a written question in
the Upper House, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said, "the analysis
of data for the period 1901-2008 by Meteorological Department suggests
that annual mean temperature for the country as a whole has risen by
.52 degree celsius over the period."
Mr. Ramesh said the concentration of
Green House Gas (GHG) in the atmosphere was leading to global warming
and that spatial pattern of trends in the mean annual temperature show
significant positive (increasing) trend over most parts of the country.
However, in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Bihar significant negative (decreasing) trends were observed, the minister added.
Regarding the melting of glaciers, he
said as per Geological Survey of India, the majority of Himalayan
glaciers were receding at varying rates during the twentieth century.
However, he added, "Recession of
glaciers is a complex phenomenon ... Thus it is not possible to specify
the role played by the rise in temperature alone in this shrinkages."
The receding of glaciers may lead to
reduction in their ice reserves, besides changes in the river
hydrology, enhanced silt and debris production, ecological disturbances
and rise in sea level, Mr Ramesh said.
Kalam wants India to adopt Bangladesh's Grameen Bank model
Dhaka (IANS): Inspired by Bangladesh's
Grameen Bank endeavour, former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has
mooted a separate Indian law for micro credit in rural areas, a media
report here said Monday.
Responding to Dr. Kalam, who is on a
three-day visit here, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus Sunday said that
Grameen Bank would be delighted to help in any effort to set up micro
credit programmes in India and is already involved in such an effort in
Kerala.
Yunus presented Dr. Kalam the Hindi translation of his book Banker of the Poorduring his visit to the Grameen Bank, the Daily Star reported.
India's first technocrat president, who
held office from 2002 to 2007, also mooted joint research and
development, using modern technology, of jute -- the “golden fibre”
common to Bangladesh and India. Its production has steadily declined in
recent years.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday hosted a dinner in Kalam's honour.
Dr. Kalam's itinerary here includes visiting Dhaka University and the historic Viqarunnisa Noon School and College.
Dr. Kalam, along with President Zillur
Rahman, will Monday attend the first convocation of the University of
Information Technology and Sciences (UITS).
Krishna to attend ARF meet in Thailand tomorrow
New Delhi (PTI) With terrorist threats
spanning across the globe, the ASEAN Regional Forum, to be attended by
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in Thailand, will come out with
a work plan to tackle the threat.
The two-day meeting in Phuket is also expected to discuss global economic crisis and food and energy security.
Progress on the negotiations for Free
Trade Agreement between India and ASEAN is also expected to be reviewed
during the three-day visit of Krishna beginning Monday.
The Work Plan is aimed at committing
the 26 member countries to make efforts towards concrete,
capacity-building efforts, technical support and information exchange.
The meeting will also discuss other
global and regional challenges like food and energy security, climate
change, regional security, nuclear non-proliferation, disaster
management and prevention and control of pandemic diseases.
The ARF meet will issue a Vision Statement, outlining the roadmap to give a fillip to cooperation among the member countries.
The ministerial meeting of the ASEAN and ARF will set the agenda for the Summit to be held in Thailand in October.
Congress refuses to comment on India, Pak's joint statement
New Delhi (PTI) The Congress on Monday
refused to comment on the joint statement of India and Pakistan in
Egypt, saying the party had nothing to add to the two statements of
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, including one on the floor of the House.
Replying to a volley of questions on
whether the joint statement negated what India had been standing for
and whether the party endorsed it, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi
said, "if you need any further clarification, go to Government of
India".
He said the PM's statement leaves no scope for any doubt.
Mr. Singhvi also parried questions on
Leader of Opposition L K Advani's criticism of the joint statement
saying such statements came even during the Indo-US nuclear deal.
"There are objectives he has been using...They don't deserve to be answered," he added.
To a query about the proposed rath
yatra of Mr. Advani, Mr. Singhvi said he wished him "happy journey" but
added that the country was in turmoil when similar yatra was undertaken
earlier.
Tapioca kept for sale in a street in Kochi. It is as a nutritious
food substitute, and in animal feed formulation, production of starch,
sago and commodity chemicals like citric acid and high fructose syrup.
Photo: K.K. Mustafah.
Photo Gallery
Cane output may fall 17 million tonnes below demand by 2012
New Delhi (PTI): India's sugarcane production is projected to fall
short of the demand by 17 million tonnes at the end of this Plan period
(2007-2012) from a surplus supply of 14 million tonnes now, as per the
Planning Commission.The country is ... More
Chilli, turmeric rises on tight supply
New Delhi (PTI): Red chilli and turmeric prices rose up to Rs 200 per
quintal in the national capital on Monday on fall in supplies from
producing belts amid fresh buying support from local parties and
stockists.Red chilli prices were up by Rs ... More
Copra, dry dates up on fresh buying
New Delhi (PTI): Copra and dry dates price rose by Rs 100 per quintal
in the national capital on Monday on the back of buying by retailers
and stockists due to festive demand.Fall in supplies from producing
Southern region also supported the rise ...
More
From
July 16, 2009
Indian food and power shortages loom as monsoon arrival is latest in 80 years
India is looking anxiously to the skies as the worst start to the
monsoon in 80 years raises fears of food shortages, power cuts and
riots.
In Bhopal a young couple and their son were beaten and stabbed to
death yesterday, allegedly after a dispute with their neighbours over
water in the drought-stricken city.
In the surrounding state of Madhya Pradesh water tankers were under
police guard as they visited areas where normal drinking supplies have
been exhausted for weeks.
“Street brawls are happening as the water supplies are coming in.
It’s hot; tempers are short; people are thirsty and frustrated,” said
Indira Khurana, of WaterAid India.
The monsoon’s prolonged tropical downpours, which account for 80 per
cent of India’s annual rainfall, should have started early last month
but have only just begun. The delayed onset of the rainy season has
pushed back the planting of staples such as rice and grain after a
scorching June, in which temperatures in the northwest hovered 6-7C
above historical averages, and led to vegetable crops and paddy
nurseries withering in the sun.
While food prices have risen, the stock market in Mumbai has
plummeted. Last week it suffered its worst falls since October over
fears that a failed monsoon could ruin the livelihood of millions of
poor consumers.
Economists now fear that the vagaries of the weather could wreck a
national economy that has weathered the financial storms of the global
credit crisis relatively unscathed.
State governments in the central region of Jharkhand and the north
eastern region of Manipur have already declared droughts — a highly
unusual step so early in the growing season. Assam, also in the
northeast, which produces tea and rice, said 14 of its 28 districts are
suffering drought.
In Punjab, the northern region known as the bread basket of India,
rainfall has been less than half the historical average. Across the
country as a whole it is about 30 per cent below normal. The Government
banned wheat exports from the country this week, over concerns that a
poor harvest will lead to shortages and price increases.
The looming crisis has emphasised just how dependent India remains
on the monsoon — even to keep the lights on. The country relies on
hydroelectric generation for about a quarter of its power output. With
electricity being diverted to irrigate crops, vast areas face blackouts.
Meanwhile, most of the 800 million Indians who rely on agriculture
for their living are hanging on the weather man’s every word. Here, at
least, the latest news is comforting, with the heavy rains that have
descended on much of the country in the past few days forecast to
continue.
Indians pray that now the rains have started they will continue.
India Inc's rain hopes
NDTV Correspondent
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
(New Delhi)
The
monsoon is still to reach the optimum levels in many parts of the
country, raising fears of even a drought. But is the situation that bad
or is there still some hope left?
A
seventy per cent of Indians are farmers, dependent on the monsoon and
their livelihood now hangs in balance, thanks to large parts of the
country getting poor rainfall. There is already fear in the markets and
the government is treading softly, but are the concerns justified?
According
to the Metereological department, June saw 55 per cent less than normal
rains, but July made up with 95 per cent rainfall in the first week,
which means late sowing is possible and reservoirs are filling up.
BP
Yadav, director of IMD, said, “There was a 54 per cent deficiency
earlier that has come down to 32 per cent, which means an improvement
of 20 per cent and it has come mainly from South India and Central
India. The rains have been enough in quantity and distribution but
northwest areas still remain a concern.”
While industries related to agriculture have cause for concern, some players feel they can weather the storm.
Vivek
Saraogi, MD of Balrampur Chini Mills, said, “The cane is a crop that
does not require rainfall equal to something like paddy. I don’t think
there is going to be too much of a dip in production.
HM
Bangur, MD of Shree Cement, said, “ The monsoon is good. It was delayed
but we do not think that it is going to effect much.”
However, India Inc’s confidence may be a little misplaced. Manipur has
declared a drought and so have parts of Jharkhand and if the situation
does not improve soon, India could be facing a long summer of
discontent.
- Posted: Wed, Jul 15 2009. 10:32 PM IST
- Economy and Politics
Opposition wants Centre to declare drought
opposition has demanded that the government call a meeting of chief
ministers, leaders of all political parties and experts to chalk out
strategies to deal with the foodgrain scarcity
Liz Mathew
delhi: Even as the government maintained that the monsoon is likely to
get stronger over the next few weeks, the Opposition on Wednesday
demanded the Centre to declare a drought in the country and offer
financial assistance to farmers who are dependent on the monsoon.
senior minister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government
admitted that the monsoon situation in the north-west is “worrying” and
that the rains in July would not compensate for the shortfall in June
in this region. He said the progress of the rains was unlikely to be
good in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and eastern Uttar Pradesh as the
monsoon rains had started moving south, away from the region.
tension: Farmers ploughing a field in north India. Parts of the country
face the threat of a drought after recording weak rains. Ramesh
Pathania / Mint
subdivisions fall under scanty or deficient monsoon category. But the
mitigation strategy has to be worked out at the states,” the minister,
who did not want to be identified, said.
urging the government to declare a “drought”, the opposition demanded
that the government call a meeting of chief ministers, leaders of all
political parties and experts to chalk out strategies to deal with the
“foodgrain scarcity, power shortage and drinking water scarcity”,
which, they said, would be the outcome of deficient rains.
proceedings in the Lower House was adjourned for half-an-hour after the
opposition MPs led by Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), leader Sharad
Yadav wanted Speaker Meira Kumar to suspend Question Hour and discuss
the “drought situation” in the country. Lawmakers cutting across party
lines said the government must chalk out a contingency plan to deal
with the situation.
Dasgupta said rice acerage in the country has dropped by 20% and the
area under oilseeds cultivation has fallen 45%. The government,
however, did not respond to this.
threat of a drought after recording weak rains, despite flash floods in
Orissa and Mumbai claiming the lives of at least 15 people. In Assam
and Manipur, authorities have already declared drought after scanty
rainfall. Four districts in Jharkhand were also declared drought-hit.
stating that the monsoon will improve in the latter half of July, the
government has banned export of wheat. However, minister of state in
the Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan said: “If there is a
shortage of foodgrain, we will import. We have plenty of stock for the
current year.”
http://www.livemint.com/2009/07/15223255/Opposition-wants-Centre-to-dec.html?h=B
Clouds, seas to be targeted by UN climate report
REUTERS
OSLO: Cloud formation, sea level rises
and extreme weather events are among areas set to get more attention in the next
UN report on global
winning panel said on Friday.
Rajendra Pachauri also said the panel
did not plan to issue more frequent reports as suggested by some governments,
reckoning that several years were needed to come up with robust findings. The
last series of reports was in 2007.
"We would certainly have much
more greater detail," in the next reports, Pachauri told in a telephone
interview from Venice, where leading scientists have been meeting from July
13-17 to work on an outline to be approved later this year.
"In the
case of clouds we will certainly provide much greater emphasis in this report --
clouds, aerosols, black carbon. These are issues that we will certainly cover in
much greater detail," he said.
The 2007 report pointed to cloud
formation as a big uncertainty in climate change. Warmer air can absorb more
moisture and so lead to more clouds in some regions -- the white tops can
reflect heat back into space and offset any warming.
In an opposite
effect, black carbon -- or soot from sources such as factories or forest fires
-- can blanket ice and snow with a heat-absorbent dark layer and so accelerate a
thaw.
"Sea level rise is another issue that...will get much greater
in-depth attention," he said.
Scenarios for sea level rise this
century in the 2007 report ranged from 18 to 59 cm (7-24 inches). But it said
that 59 cm should not be considered an upper limit because of uncertainties
about a possible melt of Greenland and Antarctica.
And the panel,
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is also planning an extra
report on extreme events such as droughts, floods, heatwaves or mudslides
projected because of global warming.
Pachauri said the next report
by the IPCC, which shared the 2007 Nobel Prize with former US Vice President Al
Gore, was intended to guide nations after the planned agreement of a new UN
climate treaty in Copenhagen in December.
He welcomed an agreement
by major economies at a Group of Eight summit in Italy last week to recognise a
broad scientific view that world temperature rises should not exceed 2 Celsius
(3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.
But he said too little
was being done to achieve the limit. "It's a step forwards. I wish they would
have made some commitments on what would ensure limiting the temperature
increase to 2 degrees," he said.
"In the (2007 report) we said if
you want to limit temperatures to that range all we have is up to 2015 as the
year when global emissions must peak and they must decline thereafter," he said.
Greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, have
risen fast in recent years although recession is now curbing industrial activity
in many nations. China has overtaken the United States as top emitter.
Of 177 scientific scenarios in the 2007 report, only 6 looked at
tough emissions curbs needed to keep temperature rises below 2 Celsius.
Governments have put more funding into scientific research into
higher emissions limits that they judge to be more likely.
"We're
certainly going to look at much more stringent mitigation," Pachauri said, when
asked if governments were still reluctant to put money into looking at curbs
needed to achieve the 2 Celsius limit.
MNCs' buyback rush may open arbitrage gate 18 Jul 2009, 0210 hrs IST, Vijay Gurav, ET Bureau | |||||||
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MUMBAI: Investors could see some good arbitrage opportunities coming their way, as foreign parents of many multinational companies (MNCs) are their holdings in Indian subsidiaries through open offers, feel investment bankers. Anticipating a further improvement in market conditions, these companies may rush with voluntary or delisting offers before valuations become expensive, investment bankers reckon. Brokerage house Edelweiss Securities has named 10 MNCs which may come out with open offers. These are Atlas Copco, Alfa Laval, Avaya Global, Gillette India, BASF India, Monsanto India, BOC India, Ingersoll Rand, Blue Dart and Oracle Financial Services. “With stability returning to equity markets, MNCs would like to make the most of the current reasonable valuations for consolidating holdings in their Indian subsidiaries. Going by the trend observed in the case of recent offers, it appears that the market is ready to make the most of these special situation arbitrage opportunities,” said Edelweiss Securities in its report ‘Master Moves’. The past trend showed that as soon as a company announces an open offer — which is generally at a premium to the prevailing market price — investors flock to the counter to buy shares in anticipation of a further rise in the price. Pricing of open offers has been a major issue among investors, particularly those holding shares for a long time, because of which not many offers could be completed successfully. Some MNCs had to make quite a few attempts to increase their stake in local arms over a period of few years, while others had to increase their offer price to attract shareholders. Novartis and Pfizer are the two latest examples where the acquirers had to hike the respective offer prices. The foreign parents could hike their stake in Novartis from 50.9% to 76.4% (against the proposed 89.9%) after raising the offer price from 351 to Rs 450 per share. Despite a smart recovery in the market, many MNCs are currently quoting at a substantial discount to their peak values and so could see their parents rushing with offers, feel bankers. “Hopes of further improvement in valuations could prompt foreign parents of MNCs to acquire shares through open offer. Being cash-rich, most of them need not raise funds to run their operations and would like to eventually delist shares,” said Almondz Global Securities investment banking head Sharad Rathi. All the MNCs mentioned above are currently quoting between 14-36% lower than their 52-week highs. For instance, Atlas Copco closed at Rs 616 on Friday, which is 36% lower than the 52-week high price of Rs 960 scaled on September 8, 2008. Swedish parent Atlas Copco Group had made an open offer in 2002, which increased its holding from 51% to nearly 84% in the company. In another notable example, Alfa Laval, where the foreign parent holds as high as 89% stake, is currently quoting at Rs 885, 14% lower than its peak value. | |||||||
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Premier in drought areas visit as a little rain falls
Source: Xinhua |
2009-2-9 |
 | Premier Photograph byXinhua |
PARTS of China's parched north got light rain after
authorities fired shells loaded with cloud-seeding chemicals into the
sky, but there was no end in sight for its worst drought in five
decades, the government said yesterday.
China
has declared an emergency across the country's north, where 4.4 million
people lack adequate drinking water and winter wheat crops are
withering.
"The drought situation will not be eased in the near future," the China Meteorological Administration said.
Some
areas got a sprinkling of rain and sleet at the weekend after clouds
were hit with 2,392 rockets and 409 cannon shells loaded with
chemicals, the administration said. It said clouds were thin and moving
out of the region, making conditions poor for more rain making.
Rainfall
in northern and central China is 50 percent to 80 percent below normal,
according to the Flood Control and Drought Relief Office.
Artificial
means were employed to create rains in at least seven provinces on
Saturday to alleviate the drought, the meteorological administration
said.
Rain-enhancing practices were adopted in Henan, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hubei and Anhui.
In
central China's Henan Province, artificial precipitation brought on
average 0.5 millimeters of rain to 17 counties and cities. The province
is one of the major wheat-producing areas.
Parts of the
artificially moistened provinces and north China's Hebei Province saw 1
to 5 millimeters of rain from Saturday to yesterday morning.
Irrigation
had covered 52.7 percent of the wheat farmland in the drought-hit
provinces by Saturday, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday.
A
total of about 5.67 million hectares of wheat land had been irrigated
in eight drought-stricken provincial regions, the ministry said.
Agriculture
Minister Sun Zhengcai said it was important to fully use machinery in
the fight against drought. He asked local governments to increase
subsidies for farmers to buy more irrigation-related and water-saving
equipment, and make every effort to expand irrigation coverage and save
water.
By Saturday, 10.1 million hectares of wheat farmland,
which accounted for 95 percent of the drought-stricken crops in China,
was affected in eight provincial areas of Hebei, Shanxi, Anhui,
Jiangsu, Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi and Gansu. The drought began to hit
most parts of China's north in November.
The foul weather has
affected 1.07 million hectares of crops and threatened the drinking
water supply for 4.37 million people and 2.1 million heads of
livestock.
Relief work
Premier Wen Jiabao has urged
officials to place "top priority" on relief work as agricultural
stability concerned China's bid to revive its economy.
The
fight against drought has to do not only with the safety of grain
supply but also with the country's efforts to stimulate domestic
demand, Wen said during a visit to Henan Province over the weekends.
He said: "It's of vital significance to the overall economy to boost steady growth of grain production and farmers' income."
The
premier told local governments to allocate relief funds at the earliest
possible time, ensure adequate supply of farm tools, fertilizer and
pesticide and subsidize farmers' purchase of urgently needed machinery.
Local governments are also urged to speed up construction of water control works, reservoirs in danger and irrigation projects.
China
is to divert water from the nation's longest rivers, the Yangtze and
Yellow rivers, to irrigate drought-stricken farmland, a Ministry of
Water Resources official said.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200902/20090209/article_390386.htm
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