Aarti Kelkar Khambete

The News Roundup over the last two weeks indicates reports of heavy rainfall in the state of Tamil Nadu, with deaths and destruction due to flooding, destruction of crops due to excessive rainfall. The news also reports of droughts in Orissa and rains in Maharashtra leading to destruction of crops.

Rainfall

• Rain continues to batter Tamil Nadu
• Rain plays havoc in three districts in Tamil Nadu
• Rain hits lignite mining in Tamil Nadu
• Continuing rain fury claims more lives in Tamil Nadu
• Rains continue to batter Puduchery, Karaikal in Tamil Nadu
• Rains lash Madurai: 10 dead, 73 houses damaged
• Five die in rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu

Reports of floods, swelling of rivers continue from various parts of North India such as Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand. There have been reports of landslides in the Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh, especially Shimla where the tourism industry has suffered and tourists have been reported to be stranded because of floods and landslides. Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been the worst hit with a high number of deaths due to monsoon and floods.

Agriculture/Watershed Development

• Scientists from Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) in Orissa have developed a new rice variety for water-logged areas
• Andhra's mammoth water harvesting program - 'Jalayagnam', sinks

Floods, rains, droughts

There have been reports of flooding as well as incessant rains in the northern parts of India such as Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan as well as the northeast such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh. At the same time, reports indicate that parts of Madhya Pradesh have been facing severe drought while parts of Himachal Pradesh indicate sudden drops in temperature with reports of snowfall in certain areas. Reports from  West Bengal also indicate extensive flooding in certain parts of the state.

Waterbodies/ Rivers

• Dams on the Himalayas: Environmentalists demand scrapping of projects in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh
• Involve people to conserve Himalayas, stop big dams: Environmentalists argue
• Uttarakhand government halts work on a hydel project: priests and devotees resist the submergence of a temple