P. Sainath

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How drought is defined, assessed and declared changed
drastically with the <a href="http://agricoop.nic.in/sites/default/files/Manual%20Drought%202016.pdf">Drought
Management Manual</a> for
December 2016, of the government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture. The
changes disconnect crop (loss) estimates and drought assessment. And virtually
take away the power of the state governments to declare drought – except on the
terms now mandated by the centre. For instance, on October 31 this year, Maharashtra  declared 151 of its 358 talukas
as drought-hit, but in reality well over 200 talukas are affected. Many
factors that were traditionally worked into compensation (for example, whether
farmers were forced to do a second or third sowing after a crop failure) have
now been made irrelevant. The emphasis on satellite data – that cannot capture
a second sowing – ensures this. The
changes are many and extremely serious – and most of them really hurt the farmer.

A flood of assessments, a drought of humanity

வெள்ளம் மதிப்பீடுகள் எனும் மனிதகுலத்தின் வறட்சி

‘খরা মূল্যায়নের বানে ভেসে যায় খড়কুটো-সম মানবতা’

ਅੰਕੜਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਹੜ੍ਹ ਅੱਗੇ ਸੋਕਾ ਮੁਰਝਾਇਆ

মূল্যায়নৰ বান, মানৱতাৰ আকাল

تخمینوں کا سیلاب، انسانیت کا قحط

राज्य सरकारों से छिन रहा सूखे की घोषणा करने का अधिकार

ଆକଳନର ବନ୍ୟା ଆସିଛି, ମାନବିକତାର ମରୁଡି ପଡିଛି

मोजण्यांचा महापूर, माणुसकीचा दुष्काळ

Mumbai

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A flood of assessments, a drought of humanity

Watch P. Sainath, Founder Editor, PARI, speak of a redefinition of drought that will hit farmers hard

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