Time and again, Randeep Hooda has proved that not only is he a good actor but also a good Samaritan.Hooda always manages to stay away from the limelight and travels the extra miles to help the needy. The actor recently joined a team of volunteers to help people who are struggling with drought in a village near Nashik in Maharashtra.

The `Highway` actor along with UK-based international humanitarian relief organization Khalsa Aid visited the drought-hit village in Vele to provide them with drinking water.

The 42-year-old actor posted a small video clip on Instagram where he can be seen talking about the drought- village and urging the government to strongly step forward and look out for some permanent solutions to the problems."There is a major shortage of water all over the country.. in Maharashtra near Nashik village Vele with Khalsa Aid India volunteers trying to do our bit Every Drop Counts be as prudent as you can," he captioned the video.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByfJEzZBOUZ/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">There is a major shortage of water all over the country.. in #Maharashtra near #Nashik village #Vele with @khalsaaid_india volunteers trying to do our bit #EveryDropCounts be as prudent as you can @khalsa_aid #SaveWater @narendramodi @amarpreetsingh_ka @ravisinghka</a>

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In the video, viewers can watch a long queue of villagers standing with their huge containers and how the volunteers are filling those vessels with fresh drinking water.

This was not the first time that the actor has worked with the organisation. He has been part of many Khalsa Aid missions including the cleaning of Juhu beach and serving food <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/randeep-hooda-joins-khalsa-aid-for-relief-work-in-kerala-161002">to flood victims in Kerala last year.</a>

Maharastra currently is facing severe drought conditions with just 7 per cent of water left for consumption and has affected the lives of the people residing in the state.&nbsp;

Apart from the state, several other parts of the country like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan are also witnessing similar kind of problems.

On the work front, Randeep recently wrapped up the shooting of Imtiaz Ali`s next upcoming film. The two were last spotted five years back in `Highway.`&nbsp;

Time and again, Randeep Hooda has proved that not only is he a good actor but also a good Samaritan.Hooda always manages to stay away from the limelight and travels the extra miles to help the needy.

Time and again, Randeep Hooda has proved that not only is he a good actor but also a good Samaritan.Hooda always manages to stay away from the limelight and travels the extra miles to help the needy. The actor recently joined a team of volunteers to help people who are struggling with drought in a village near Nashik in Maharashtra. The `Highway` actor along with UK-based international humanitarian relief organization Khalsa Aid visited the drought-hit village in Vele to provide them with drinking water. The 42-year-old actor posted a small video clip on Instagram where he can be seen talking about the drought- village and urging the government to strongly step forward and look out for some permanent solutions to the problems."There is a major shortage of water all over the country.. in Maharashtra near Nashik village Vele with Khalsa Aid India volunteers trying to do our bit Every Drop Counts be as prudent as you can," he captioned the video. View this post on Instagram There is a major shortage of water all over the country.. in #Maharashtra near #Nashik village #Vele with @khalsaaid_india volunteers trying to do our bit #EveryDropCounts be as prudent as you can @khalsa_aid #SaveWater @narendramodi @amarpreetsingh_ka @ravisinghka A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) on Jun 9, 2019 at 4:05am PDT × In the video, viewers can watch a long queue of villagers standing with their huge containers and how the volunteers are filling those vessels with fresh drinking water. This was not the first time that the actor has worked with the organisation. He has been part of many Khalsa Aid missions including the cleaning of Juhu beach and serving food to flood victims in Kerala last year. Maharastra currently is facing severe drought conditions with just 7 per cent of water left for consumption and has affected the lives of the people residing in the state. Apart from the state, several other parts of the country like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan are also witnessing similar kind of problems. On the work front, Randeep recently wrapped up the shooting of Imtiaz Ali`s next upcoming film. The two were last spotted five years back in `Highway.`

Randeep Hooda teams up with Khalsa Aid to help people in drought-hit areas in Maharashtra

Severe Parts in India are facing water crisis. Jal Shakti Minister said that Water crisis is a 'Media Hype'. 50% Villages in India face drought like conditions. Watch this video to know more.

India Watch: Severe Water Crisis In India

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-temperatures-rise-pre-monsoon-rainfall-records-27-dip-imd-214086">monsoon is likely to be delayed this year</a> as its arrival expected on June 6, five days after its normal onset date, the India Meteorological Department(IMD) said on Wednesday.

"This year, the statistical model forecast suggests that the monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be slightly delayed," the IMD said. "The southwest monsoon onset is likely to set over Kerala on June 6th with a model error of plus or minus 4 days."

"Conditions are becoming favourable for advance of southwest monsoon over the southern part of Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal during May 18-19," it added.

The normal onset date for monsoon over Kerala is June 1, which also marks the official commencement of the four-month rainfall season.&nbsp;

The IMD and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/monsoon-likely-to-hit-kerala-on-june-4-three-days-after-normal-onset-date-skymet-218751">private weather agency Skymet</a> were unanimous on the prediction of the late arrival of monsoon this year. The Skymet had said on Tuesday that the monsoon would hit the Kerala coast on June 4, with an error margin of two days.

If the monsoon arrives late, it will be third such instance since 2014 when it arrived on June 5, followed by June 6 in 2015 and June 8 in 2016.

The delay in the arrival of monsoon may not necessarily have an impact on the overall rainfall. Last year, it had hit Kerala on May 29, three days before the normal onset date. Yet, the country received 'below-normal' rainfall.

Similarly, in 2017, the monsoon arrived in Kerala on May 30, but the overall rainfall was 95 per cent of the long period average (LPA), which falls under the below normal category.

In its initial forecast released in April, the IMD had predicted a near-normal rainfall with an LPA of 96 per cent, which falls on the border of 'below-normal' and 'normal' rainfall category. On the other hand, the Skymet has predicted a 'below-normal' rainfall with an LPA of 93 per cent.

The monsoon is likely to be delayed this year as its arrival expected on June 6, five days after its normal onset date, the India Meteorological Department(IMD) said on Wednesday.

The monsoon is likely to be delayed this year as its arrival expected on June 6, five days after its normal onset date, the India Meteorological Department(IMD) said on Wednesday. "This year, the statistical model forecast suggests that the monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be slightly delayed," the IMD said. "The southwest monsoon onset is likely to set over Kerala on June 6th with a model error of plus or minus 4 days." "Conditions are becoming favourable for advance of southwest monsoon over the southern part of Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal during May 18-19," it added. The normal onset date for monsoon over Kerala is June 1, which also marks the official commencement of the four-month rainfall season. The IMD and private weather agency Skymet were unanimous on the prediction of the late arrival of monsoon this year. The Skymet had said on Tuesday that the monsoon would hit the Kerala coast on June 4, with an error margin of two days. If the monsoon arrives late, it will be third such instance since 2014 when it arrived on June 5, followed by June 6 in 2015 and June 8 in 2016. The delay in the arrival of monsoon may not necessarily have an impact on the overall rainfall. Last year, it had hit Kerala on May 29, three days before the normal onset date. Yet, the country received 'below-normal' rainfall. Similarly, in 2017, the monsoon arrived in Kerala on May 30, but the overall rainfall was 95 per cent of the long period average (LPA), which falls under the below normal category. In its initial forecast released in April, the IMD had predicted a near-normal rainfall with an LPA of 96 per cent, which falls on the border of 'below-normal' and 'normal' rainfall category. On the other hand, the Skymet has predicted a 'below-normal' rainfall with an LPA of 93 per cent.

Monsoon likely to be slightly delayed, will arrive over Kerala on June 6: IMD

The Bombay High Court has sought to know from the Maharashtra government what measures it proposes to tackle "serious" issues like drought in the state.

A vacation bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and N J Jamadar was hearing a petition filed by activist Sanjay Lakhe Patil, seeking setting up of independent disaster management committees in each district of the state.

Patil sought for implementation of the 2016 disaster management guidelines which listed several measures to be undertaken by the state government to tackle natural calamities and disasters, including drought.

When the petition was heard on Monday, Patil produced records before the court to show that water levels in dams and other resources had gone down in the state's Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.

"The issue is serious. We want some lawyer from the state government to inform us what measures the government proposes to take (to tackle the issue)," the court said.

The bench then posted the petition for further hearing on May 20.&nbsp;

The Bombay High Court has sought to know from the Maharashtra government what measures it proposes to tackle "serious" issues like drought in the state. A vacation bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and N J Jamadar was hearing a petition filed by activist Sanjay Lakhe Patil, seeking setting up of independent disaster management committees in each district of the state.

The Bombay High Court has sought to know from the Maharashtra government what measures it proposes to tackle "serious" issues like drought in the state. A vacation bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and N J Jamadar was hearing a petition filed by activist Sanjay Lakhe Patil, seeking setting up of independent disaster management committees in each district of the state. Patil sought for implementation of the 2016 disaster management guidelines which listed several measures to be undertaken by the state government to tackle natural calamities and disasters, including drought. When the petition was heard on Monday, Patil produced records before the court to show that water levels in dams and other resources had gone down in the state's Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. "The issue is serious. We want some lawyer from the state government to inform us what measures the government proposes to take (to tackle the issue)," the court said. The bench then posted the petition for further hearing on May 20.

High Court asks Maharashtra government about steps taken to tackle drought

Afghanistan's summer harvest will be one of the most critical in years, especially of wheat, its biggest cereal crop, as the country recovers from floods and the worst drought in decades, government and aid organization officials say.

Ample snow and rain during winter partly replenished soil moisture and raised hopes for a better wheat crop, which is a food source for rural families who turn their harvested grain into bread. Last year, however, drought displaced hundreds of thousands of people and also forced farmers who stayed in their homes to sell livestock and tools to survive, making recovery a multi-year challenge.

Many farmers were unable to plant crops last year because of parched conditions.

Jabbar, 44, a farmer in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, sold sheep, cows and one camel at discounted prices to buy food for his family of 12. Recent floods washed away some of his land that had been planted with peas and wheat.

"I have a big family so it's my responsibility to feed them. If it rains or not, it is harmful to us," he said, referring to the double damage inflicted by drought and flood.

"I hope I can get good results this year."

Floods in March complicated the recovery. Heavy rains killed at least 63 people and destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 homes, affecting 119,600 people, according to the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Some 243,000 people remain displaced from last year's drought in the western provinces of Herat, Badghis and Ghor, according to OCHA. Many have moved to urban areas where they live in tents on public and private lands, creating tensions with landowners.

"If the harvest is OK, that will help communities come out of a terribly bleak period. If it's not OK, we'll need a massive injection of food quickly," said Toby Lanzer, the UN's deputy special representative for Afghanistan.

The winter wheat harvested in June and July will need to help feed displaced people and some 10.6 million people who are struggling to find enough food where they live, Lanzer said.

Farming accounts for one-third of the country's economy, although only 12 per cent of its land is arable.

The wheat crop's outlook remains uncertain, said Agriculture Minister Nasir Ahmad Durrani, in an interview on March 20. If the temperature warms too rapidly, melting snow could create floods that wipe out ripe crops, he said.

It is also unclear how many wheat farmers were able to plant last autumn, said Rajendra Aryal, the representative in Afghanistan for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Many farmers used the wheat seed to make bread to survive, rather than save it for planting, Aryal said.

"The people were already poor," he said. "It will be very difficult if the harvest fails, so I don't even want to think that way."

The floods also damaged critical farm infrastructures, such as irrigation canals, reservoirs and wells. The Afghan government is working to repair damaged infrastructure, especially in the provinces of Kandahar and Farah, Durrani said.

Afghanistan produced 3.6 million tonnes of wheat last year, down 25 per cent from the five-year average, according to the FAO.

The country dipped into its grain reserve last year for 190,000 tonnes of wheat, leaving just 50,000 tonnes left, Durrani said.

The expected shortfall between supply and demand this year will be made up through wheat imports from countries including Pakistan and Kazakhstan, he said.

Abdul Majid Khan, who coordinates aid related to food security and agriculture for the UN, said a plan is in place to assist families who return home as the drought abates. It includes food assistance, cash for work and farm supplies, but the plan still requires approval from international donors.

"My biggest concern delays in funding," he said. "We can lose the trust of the people."

A significant number of families should be able to return, as long as it is safe, said Zlatan Milisic, country director for the World Food Programme.

"There are no more resilient people on Earth," UN Representative Lanzer said about Afghans. "But goodness me, it is being tested."

Afghanistan's summer harvest will be one of the most critical in years, especially of wheat, its biggest cereal crop, as the country recovers from floods and the worst drought in decades, government and aid organization officials say.

Afghanistan's summer harvest will be one of the most critical in years, especially of wheat, its biggest cereal crop, as the country recovers from floods and the worst drought in decades, government and aid organization officials say. Ample snow and rain during winter partly replenished soil moisture and raised hopes for a better wheat crop, which is a food source for rural families who turn their harvested grain into bread. Last year, however, drought displaced hundreds of thousands of people and also forced farmers who stayed in their homes to sell livestock and tools to survive, making recovery a multi-year challenge. Many farmers were unable to plant crops last year because of parched conditions. Jabbar, 44, a farmer in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, sold sheep, cows and one camel at discounted prices to buy food for his family of 12. Recent floods washed away some of his land that had been planted with peas and wheat. "I have a big family so it's my responsibility to feed them. If it rains or not, it is harmful to us," he said, referring to the double damage inflicted by drought and flood. "I hope I can get good results this year." Floods in March complicated the recovery. Heavy rains killed at least 63 people and destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 homes, affecting 119,600 people, according to the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Some 243,000 people remain displaced from last year's drought in the western provinces of Herat, Badghis and Ghor, according to OCHA. Many have moved to urban areas where they live in tents on public and private lands, creating tensions with landowners. "If the harvest is OK, that will help communities come out of a terribly bleak period. If it's not OK, we'll need a massive injection of food quickly," said Toby Lanzer, the UN's deputy special representative for Afghanistan. The winter wheat harvested in June and July will need to help feed displaced people and some 10.6 million people who are struggling to find enough food where they live, Lanzer said. Farming accounts for one-third of the country's economy, although only 12 per cent of its land is arable. The wheat crop's outlook remains uncertain, said Agriculture Minister Nasir Ahmad Durrani, in an interview on March 20. If the temperature warms too rapidly, melting snow could create floods that wipe out ripe crops, he said. It is also unclear how many wheat farmers were able to plant last autumn, said Rajendra Aryal, the representative in Afghanistan for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Many farmers used the wheat seed to make bread to survive, rather than save it for planting, Aryal said. "The people were already poor," he said. "It will be very difficult if the harvest fails, so I don't even want to think that way." The floods also damaged critical farm infrastructures, such as irrigation canals, reservoirs and wells. The Afghan government is working to repair damaged infrastructure, especially in the provinces of Kandahar and Farah, Durrani said. Afghanistan produced 3.6 million tonnes of wheat last year, down 25 per cent from the five-year average, according to the FAO. The country dipped into its grain reserve last year for 190,000 tonnes of wheat, leaving just 50,000 tonnes left, Durrani said. The expected shortfall between supply and demand this year will be made up through wheat imports from countries including Pakistan and Kazakhstan, he said. Abdul Majid Khan, who coordinates aid related to food security and agriculture for the UN, said a plan is in place to assist families who return home as the drought abates. It includes food assistance, cash for work and farm supplies, but the plan still requires approval from international donors. "My biggest concern delays in funding," he said. "We can lose the trust of the people." A significant number of families should be able to return, as long as it is safe, said Zlatan Milisic, country director for the World Food Programme. "There are no more resilient people on Earth," UN Representative Lanzer said about Afghans. "But goodness me, it is being tested."

After drought and floods, Afghanistan confronts critical harvest

Below-normal monsoon rains and an infestation of the fall armyworm, which devastated African crops in 2017, have slashed India's corn output and boosted prices, increasing the chances the government will grant duty-free corn imports for the first time since 2016.

The shift to imports in the world's seventh-largest corn producer, which typically exports to Asia, highlights the breadth of the crop losses due to the drought and armyworm. It also demonstrates the potential harm that the armyworm may wreak on India's agricultural economy, which supports nearly half of India's 1.3 billion people.

India harvests two sets of corn crops a year, a winter crop from March and a summer crop from September.

For the summer crop in the 2017/18 crop year ending in June, India harvested 20.24 million tonnes, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.

However, between the lower-than-normal monsoon rainfall and the armyworm infestation, summer crop output for 2018/19 crop year is forecast to drop to less than 16 million tonnes, according to Subhranil Dey, a senior research analyst at commodity brokerage SMC Comtrade Ltd in New Delhi.

"The weather wasn't good and there was the pest infestation as well," said Dey, adding that India's government will need to allow imports.

"Imports will help in bringing down prices. But the government may not allow huge imports. It will allow them to cautiously in a phased manner."

India harvested 8.47 million tonnes of winter corn in 2018, but the planted area for the winter crop this year shrank 11 per cent, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.

As a result, corn prices in the state of Maharashtra, considered the domestic benchmark, have risen by more than 30 per cent in the past two months to a record of about 20,000 rupees ($280) per tonne. That is up from 13,000 rupees a year ago.

Poultry producers and corn starch manufacturers are hopeful the shipments will rein in the price increases that they are struggling to pass on to consumers.

"We have been demanding duty-free imports of at least 500,000 tonnes. Our production cost has gone up due to the jump in corn prices," said Prasanna Pedgaonkar, general manager at Venky's, India's biggest poultry producer. Corn-based feed usually makes up two-thirds of poultry production costs.

Imports must overcome two hurdles. First, the government must agree to lift a 60 per cent import tax. Second, imports must be non-genetically modified (GM) strains as India does not allow the cultivate or import of GM crops.

India's government has allowed duty-free imports as recently as 2016 when the 181,000 tonnes were imported.

However, few countries export non-GM corn in large quantities, so finding sufficient GM-free supplies may be a challenge for traders, said Amit Sachdev, the South Asia Representative for the US Grains Council.

India's government has not decided on petitions received from importers to allow duty-free imports, said a federal government official, who asked to remain unidentified since he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The government may also delay imports until after the upcoming national elections in May to bolster the ruling party's status with farmers, said Mumbai-based trader at a global firm.

"Allowing imports just before elections may send a negative message to farmers," the trader said.

The imports will not ease the losses for farmers grappling with the infestation of fall armyworm, a voracious caterpillar in its larval stage that can spread more than 100 km (60 miles) in a night as a moth.

In 2016 and 2017, the pest ravaged corn crops in Zimbabwe, Malawi and the continent's largest producer South Africa.

The invasive species, originally from Central and North America, arrived in India only in the middle of last year after plundering Sri Lankan produce.

The armyworm plague caught Indian farmers by surprise.

"By the time we identify the pest, it had damaged the crop on a large scale," says farmer Mittal Waykar, showing the infestation effects on his 1-acre (0.4-hectare) corn plot in Maharashtra.

Below-normal monsoon rains and an infestation of the fall armyworm, which devastated African crops in 2017, have slashed India's corn output and boosted prices, increasing the chances the government will grant duty-free corn imports for the first time since 2016.

Below-normal monsoon rains and an infestation of the fall armyworm, which devastated African crops in 2017, have slashed India's corn output and boosted prices, increasing the chances the government will grant duty-free corn imports for the first time since 2016. The shift to imports in the world's seventh-largest corn producer, which typically exports to Asia, highlights the breadth of the crop losses due to the drought and armyworm. It also demonstrates the potential harm that the armyworm may wreak on India's agricultural economy, which supports nearly half of India's 1.3 billion people. India harvests two sets of corn crops a year, a winter crop from March and a summer crop from September. For the summer crop in the 2017/18 crop year ending in June, India harvested 20.24 million tonnes, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. However, between the lower-than-normal monsoon rainfall and the armyworm infestation, summer crop output for 2018/19 crop year is forecast to drop to less than 16 million tonnes, according to Subhranil Dey, a senior research analyst at commodity brokerage SMC Comtrade Ltd in New Delhi. "The weather wasn't good and there was the pest infestation as well," said Dey, adding that India's government will need to allow imports. "Imports will help in bringing down prices. But the government may not allow huge imports. It will allow them to cautiously in a phased manner." India harvested 8.47 million tonnes of winter corn in 2018, but the planted area for the winter crop this year shrank 11 per cent, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. As a result, corn prices in the state of Maharashtra, considered the domestic benchmark, have risen by more than 30 per cent in the past two months to a record of about 20,000 rupees ($280) per tonne. That is up from 13,000 rupees a year ago. Poultry producers and corn starch manufacturers are hopeful the shipments will rein in the price increases that they are struggling to pass on to consumers. "We have been demanding duty-free imports of at least 500,000 tonnes. Our production cost has gone up due to the jump in corn prices," said Prasanna Pedgaonkar, general manager at Venky's, India's biggest poultry producer. Corn-based feed usually makes up two-thirds of poultry production costs. Imports must overcome two hurdles. First, the government must agree to lift a 60 per cent import tax. Second, imports must be non-genetically modified (GM) strains as India does not allow the cultivate or import of GM crops. India's government has allowed duty-free imports as recently as 2016 when the 181,000 tonnes were imported. However, few countries export non-GM corn in large quantities, so finding sufficient GM-free supplies may be a challenge for traders, said Amit Sachdev, the South Asia Representative for the US Grains Council. India's government has not decided on petitions received from importers to allow duty-free imports, said a federal government official, who asked to remain unidentified since he was not authorized to speak to the media. The government may also delay imports until after the upcoming national elections in May to bolster the ruling party's status with farmers, said Mumbai-based trader at a global firm. "Allowing imports just before elections may send a negative message to farmers," the trader said. The imports will not ease the losses for farmers grappling with the infestation of fall armyworm, a voracious caterpillar in its larval stage that can spread more than 100 km (60 miles) in a night as a moth. In 2016 and 2017, the pest ravaged corn crops in Zimbabwe, Malawi and the continent's largest producer South Africa. The invasive species, originally from Central and North America, arrived in India only in the middle of last year after plundering Sri Lankan produce. The armyworm plague caught Indian farmers by surprise. "By the time we identify the pest, it had damaged the crop on a large scale," says farmer Mittal Waykar, showing the infestation effects on his 1-acre (0.4-hectare) corn plot in Maharashtra.

Drought, pests could force India to grant duty-free corn imports

Standing in his garden in Kabul, Baz Mohammad Kochi oversees the drilling of a new well more than 100 metres deep after his first water reservoir dried up. He is not alone.

A shortage of rain and snow, a booming population and wasteful consumption have drained the Afghan capital's water basin and sparked a race to the bottom as households and businesses bore deeper and deeper wells in search of the precious resource.

"The water level has dropped so much that it is now necessary to reach other underground basins 100 metres, even 120 metres" deep, says well digger Mohammad Aman as his dilapidated machine pierces the ochre earth in Kochi's yard.&nbsp;

Every year 80 million cubic metres (2.8 billion cubic feet) of water are extracted from Kabul's aquifers -- nearly double the natural recharge rate through precipitation, according to utility Afghanistan Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation.

As a result, Kabul's water table has fallen at least 30 metres (100 feet) in recent years, says Asian Development Bank deputy country director Shanny Campbell.

Snow has fallen in the city this month but it is not nearly enough to solve the water shortage -- in some areas the level has dropped 20 metres in the past year.

"The problem we have in Kabul is the massive increase in population, impact of climate change and overall less precipitation and snowfall," Campbell explains.

Only around 20 per cent of Kabul is connected to the city's piped water system, leaving many residents to ensure their own supply by digging wells that are often shared by several neighbours.

Others buy water from private companies, or, like Mohammad Nazir, fill up jerry cans at mosques or more than 400 public taps scattered around the city.

&nbsp;"There is no point turning on the taps -- there is no water here," says Nazir, 50, who lives on a hill where the ground is too hard to dig a well and the city's pipes do not reach.

"It's the worst year we've ever lived."&nbsp;

Undrinkable

Water is not only scarce in Kabul, but most of it is undrinkable, according to the National Environmental Protection Agency.&nbsp;

Around 70 per cent of the city's groundwater is contaminated by waste and chemicals from leaky household septic tanks and industrial plants that can cause diarrhoea or other illnesses if the water is not boiled or purified properly.

Efforts to increase connections to the municipal piped water network and improve sanitation systems are underway.&nbsp;

But progress is slow as authorities struggle to keep up with demand in one of the fastest growing cities in the world.&nbsp;

Kabul's population has more than doubled to around five million in the past 30 years, boosted by the arrival of people fleeing war and poverty.&nbsp;

It is expected to reach eight million by 2050, according to a report published in the Washington-based SAIS Review of International Affairs in 2017.&nbsp;

Improving living standards for many households also means more people are showering and washing cars than ever before.

A lack of public awareness about water conservation and no restrictions on its usage means much of it is wasted.&nbsp;

While they try to work out how to replenish the city's subterranean reserves, authorities are using a television campaign and the influence of religious leaders to encourage households to save water.

"In our Friday sermons, we call on the faithful not to waste water," said Abdul Raouf, a member of the Ulema Council, the country's highest religious body.&nbsp;

As they wait for the first winter snow in the city, worshippers also pray "for this drought to end as soon as possible".

Even the Taliban are on board, issuing a statement to followers to "pray for rain".&nbsp;

Quick fix&nbsp;

Authorities are not waiting for divine intervention to fix Kabul's water problem.

With droughts, like the one affecting swathes of Afghanistan this year, expected to increase in severity and frequency as a result of climate change, a long-term solution is needed.&nbsp;

Among the options being explored by the ADB are "spreading basins" -- large ponds that trap rainwater long enough for it to seep into the soil and recharge aquifers.&nbsp;

The ADB is also looking at using "pumps to inject the water directly into" the basins and the construction of a dam on the outskirts of Kabul.

"The answer is not in one technology but in a mixture," Campbell said.&nbsp;

"Kabul is under a situation of water stress so we're looking for a solution with lower impact, lower cost technology that could fix the problem quickly."&nbsp;

That would be welcome news to Kochi, who cannot hide his relief as water gushes out his new well. He knows the borehole could dry up again soon.

"We have survived revolution and civil wars, the Taliban regime and suicide attacks, but this water shortage may force us to leave," Kochi says.

"There is no life without water."&nbsp;

Standing in his garden in Kabul, Baz Mohammad Kochi oversees the drilling of a new well more than 100 metres deep after his first water reservoir dried up. He is not alone.

Standing in his garden in Kabul, Baz Mohammad Kochi oversees the drilling of a new well more than 100 metres deep after his first water reservoir dried up. He is not alone. A shortage of rain and snow, a booming population and wasteful consumption have drained the Afghan capital's water basin and sparked a race to the bottom as households and businesses bore deeper and deeper wells in search of the precious resource. "The water level has dropped so much that it is now necessary to reach other underground basins 100 metres, even 120 metres" deep, says well digger Mohammad Aman as his dilapidated machine pierces the ochre earth in Kochi's yard. Every year 80 million cubic metres (2.8 billion cubic feet) of water are extracted from Kabul's aquifers -- nearly double the natural recharge rate through precipitation, according to utility Afghanistan Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation. As a result, Kabul's water table has fallen at least 30 metres (100 feet) in recent years, says Asian Development Bank deputy country director Shanny Campbell. Snow has fallen in the city this month but it is not nearly enough to solve the water shortage -- in some areas the level has dropped 20 metres in the past year. "The problem we have in Kabul is the massive increase in population, impact of climate change and overall less precipitation and snowfall," Campbell explains. Only around 20 per cent of Kabul is connected to the city's piped water system, leaving many residents to ensure their own supply by digging wells that are often shared by several neighbours. Others buy water from private companies, or, like Mohammad Nazir, fill up jerry cans at mosques or more than 400 public taps scattered around the city. "There is no point turning on the taps -- there is no water here," says Nazir, 50, who lives on a hill where the ground is too hard to dig a well and the city's pipes do not reach. "It's the worst year we've ever lived." Undrinkable Water is not only scarce in Kabul, but most of it is undrinkable, according to the National Environmental Protection Agency. Around 70 per cent of the city's groundwater is contaminated by waste and chemicals from leaky household septic tanks and industrial plants that can cause diarrhoea or other illnesses if the water is not boiled or purified properly. Efforts to increase connections to the municipal piped water network and improve sanitation systems are underway. But progress is slow as authorities struggle to keep up with demand in one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Kabul's population has more than doubled to around five million in the past 30 years, boosted by the arrival of people fleeing war and poverty. It is expected to reach eight million by 2050, according to a report published in the Washington-based SAIS Review of International Affairs in 2017. Improving living standards for many households also means more people are showering and washing cars than ever before. A lack of public awareness about water conservation and no restrictions on its usage means much of it is wasted. While they try to work out how to replenish the city's subterranean reserves, authorities are using a television campaign and the influence of religious leaders to encourage households to save water. "In our Friday sermons, we call on the faithful not to waste water," said Abdul Raouf, a member of the Ulema Council, the country's highest religious body. As they wait for the first winter snow in the city, worshippers also pray "for this drought to end as soon as possible". Even the Taliban are on board, issuing a statement to followers to "pray for rain". Quick fix Authorities are not waiting for divine intervention to fix Kabul's water problem. With droughts, like the one affecting swathes of Afghanistan this year, expected to increase in severity and frequency as a result of climate change, a long-term solution is needed. Among the options being explored by the ADB are "spreading basins" -- large ponds that trap rainwater long enough for it to seep into the soil and recharge aquifers. The ADB is also looking at using "pumps to inject the water directly into" the basins and the construction of a dam on the outskirts of Kabul. "The answer is not in one technology but in a mixture," Campbell said. "Kabul is under a situation of water stress so we're looking for a solution with lower impact, lower cost technology that could fix the problem quickly." That would be welcome news to Kochi, who cannot hide his relief as water gushes out his new well. He knows the borehole could dry up again soon. "We have survived revolution and civil wars, the Taliban regime and suicide attacks, but this water shortage may force us to leave," Kochi says. "There is no life without water."

Kabul faces water crisis as drought, population strain supply

As the year draws toward an end, the country must prepare for a drought year, as both our monsoons — southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon — have played ‘truant’. In four days from now, the northeast monsoon period over peninsular India will come to an end. And there are strong indications that a deficient northeast monsoon may accentuate the prevailing drought conditions in the country. Yesterday, Skymet Weather, a private weather forecasting agency, issued an update informing that the northeast monsoon will end on a ‘deficit note’, which will impact rabi (winter) crops. News reports are already pointing out a decline in sowing of rabi crops, such as black gram, millets, groundnut, etc.

Unlike the southwest monsoon (June to September), which brings rainfall across the country, northeast monsoon (October to December) mainly covers five meteorological subdivisions of peninsular India — Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, Kerala, South Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, and Coastal Andhra Pradesh. And, a look at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) post-monsoon season (October to December) rainfall data shows the rainfall gap in these regions.

Between October 1 and December 26 this year, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry have a rainfall deficit of minus 22 per cent. Rayalaseema is in ‘large deficient’ rainfall category with minus 62 per cent rainfall departure. South Interior Karnataka and Coastal Andhra Pradesh, too, have rainfall departure of minus 41 per cent and minus 54 per cent, respectively.

While the northeast monsoon is set to end on a ‘deficient’ note, the southwest monsoon, our main monsoon season, too, ended with a rainfall departure of minus 9 per cent (at all India level) making it a ‘below normal’ monsoon year. Since large parts of our country depend on rainfall for irrigation and agriculture, several states across the country have already declared drought. For instance, 22 out of 30 districts in Karnataka and 26 out of 36 districts in Maharashtra are facing crop failure and drought. Bihar government and Jharkhand government have declared 23 districts and 18 districts as drought-hit, respectively. Rayalaseema, which has minus 62 per cent rainfall departure in northeast monsoon period, had minus 37 per cent rainfall departure in southwest monsoon season, too. Early this month, 291 of the total 676 mandals in Andhra Pradesh were declared drought-affected and 88 per cent groundnut crop in the state is said to be under critical moisture stress.

The importance of northeast monsoon for south peninsula can be gauged from the fact that whereas the country receives about 11 per cent of its annual rainfall during this period, many districts over the south peninsula receive 30-60 per cent of their annual rainfall in the northeast monsoon period. For instance, Tamil Nadu receives 48 per cent of its annual rainfall during northeast monsoon season. And as per news reports, at present Chennai has a rainfall deficit of minus 55 per cent. Recent satellite images [Copernicus Sentinel Data] analysed by Raj B Palanichamy, earth observation and GIS expert, indicate dry tanks in northern Tamil Nadu and dry lakes around Chennai.

Unlike the southwest monsoon, predicting northeast monsoon rainfall is much more difficult because its variability is close to 25 per cent as against 10 per cent of the former, explains M Rajeevan, secretary, Union ministry of earth sciences. According to him, the IMD attempts to forecast seasonal rainfall of northeast monsoon using a statistical model, which needs to improve further and remains a “grey area”.

A 2012 research paper, co-authored by Rajeevan and published in Meteorological Applications notes that while different aspects of the southwest monsoon have been well investigated, the northeast monsoon has received less attention.

The large variability of northeast monsoon is reflected in rainfall data of 2015 and 2016 in Tamil Nadu. As per the ‘Report on the Northeast Monsoon 2017’, “whereas the NEM [northeast monsoon] 2015 was +52 per cent excess over the TN [Tamil Nadu] sub-division with some extremely heavy rainfall activity and unprecedented floods over the north coastal districts of Chennai, Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur, the NEM 2016 was largely deficient at -62 per cent and was the worst deficient scenario in the last 140 years.” The excess northeast monsoon 2015 occurred under strong El Niño and positive-normal Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions which are generally associated with good northeast monsoon performance.

Climate scientists are already warning against impacts of changing the climate on the northeast monsoon. A recent study by Chennai-based Anna University’s A Ramachandran and team has reported: “There are also indications of increasing heavy rainfall events during the northeast monsoon season and a slight decrease during the southwest monsoon season [in Tamil Nadu].” Clearly, there is a need to closely study our ‘fringe’ northeast monsoon. 
 
(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-there-is-a-need-to-closely-study-fringe-northeast-monsoon-2700778">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

As the year draws toward an end, the country must prepare for a drought year, as both our monsoons — southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon — have played ‘truant’.

As the year draws toward an end, the country must prepare for a drought year, as both our monsoons — southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon — have played ‘truant’. In four days from now, the northeast monsoon period over peninsular India will come to an end. And there are strong indications that a deficient northeast monsoon may accentuate the prevailing drought conditions in the country. Yesterday, Skymet Weather, a private weather forecasting agency, issued an update informing that the northeast monsoon will end on a ‘deficit note’, which will impact rabi (winter) crops. News reports are already pointing out a decline in sowing of rabi crops, such as black gram, millets, groundnut, etc. Unlike the southwest monsoon (June to September), which brings rainfall across the country, northeast monsoon (October to December) mainly covers five meteorological subdivisions of peninsular India — Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, Kerala, South Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, and Coastal Andhra Pradesh. And, a look at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) post-monsoon season (October to December) rainfall data shows the rainfall gap in these regions. Between October 1 and December 26 this year, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry have a rainfall deficit of minus 22 per cent. Rayalaseema is in ‘large deficient’ rainfall category with minus 62 per cent rainfall departure. South Interior Karnataka and Coastal Andhra Pradesh, too, have rainfall departure of minus 41 per cent and minus 54 per cent, respectively. While the northeast monsoon is set to end on a ‘deficient’ note, the southwest monsoon, our main monsoon season, too, ended with a rainfall departure of minus 9 per cent (at all India level) making it a ‘below normal’ monsoon year. Since large parts of our country depend on rainfall for irrigation and agriculture, several states across the country have already declared drought. For instance, 22 out of 30 districts in Karnataka and 26 out of 36 districts in Maharashtra are facing crop failure and drought. Bihar government and Jharkhand government have declared 23 districts and 18 districts as drought-hit, respectively. Rayalaseema, which has minus 62 per cent rainfall departure in northeast monsoon period, had minus 37 per cent rainfall departure in southwest monsoon season, too. Early this month, 291 of the total 676 mandals in Andhra Pradesh were declared drought-affected and 88 per cent groundnut crop in the state is said to be under critical moisture stress. The importance of northeast monsoon for south peninsula can be gauged from the fact that whereas the country receives about 11 per cent of its annual rainfall during this period, many districts over the south peninsula receive 30-60 per cent of their annual rainfall in the northeast monsoon period. For instance, Tamil Nadu receives 48 per cent of its annual rainfall during northeast monsoon season. And as per news reports, at present Chennai has a rainfall deficit of minus 55 per cent. Recent satellite images [Copernicus Sentinel Data] analysed by Raj B Palanichamy, earth observation and GIS expert, indicate dry tanks in northern Tamil Nadu and dry lakes around Chennai. Unlike the southwest monsoon, predicting northeast monsoon rainfall is much more difficult because its variability is close to 25 per cent as against 10 per cent of the former, explains M Rajeevan, secretary, Union ministry of earth sciences. According to him, the IMD attempts to forecast seasonal rainfall of northeast monsoon using a statistical model, which needs to improve further and remains a “grey area”. A 2012 research paper, co-authored by Rajeevan and published in Meteorological Applications notes that while different aspects of the southwest monsoon have been well investigated, the northeast monsoon has received less attention. The large variability of northeast monsoon is reflected in rainfall data of 2015 and 2016 in Tamil Nadu. As per the ‘Report on the Northeast Monsoon 2017’, “whereas the NEM [northeast monsoon] 2015 was +52 per cent excess over the TN [Tamil Nadu] sub-division with some extremely heavy rainfall activity and unprecedented floods over the north coastal districts of Chennai, Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur, the NEM 2016 was largely deficient at -62 per cent and was the worst deficient scenario in the last 140 years.” The excess northeast monsoon 2015 occurred under strong El Niño and positive-normal Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions which are generally associated with good northeast monsoon performance. Climate scientists are already warning against impacts of changing the climate on the northeast monsoon. A recent study by Chennai-based Anna University’s A Ramachandran and team has reported: “There are also indications of increasing heavy rainfall events during the northeast monsoon season and a slight decrease during the southwest monsoon season [in Tamil Nadu].” Clearly, there is a need to closely study our ‘fringe’ northeast monsoon. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The country must prepare for a drought year

Wheat and<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-opium-producers-hit-hard-by-drought-in-2018-178299"> opium farmer</a> Murad Khan Ishaqzai, 80, has never seen a drought as bad as the one ravaging western Afghanistan where more than 250,000 people have been<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-farmers-fleeing-drought-face-more-hardship-in-camps-170839"> forced to abandon</a> their homes.

After his crops dried up in Gormach district of Badghis province earlier this year, Ishaqzai rented a truck and drove his family hundreds of kilometres through Taliban-infested areas to the neighbouring province of Herat. &nbsp; &nbsp;

There, he and his family of seven took refuge in a squalid camp on the rocky outskirts of the provincial capital where aid agencies are struggling to meet growing demand for food, shelter and sanitation.

"The farms were destroyed, our livestock perished, and we left our donkeys in the desert because we couldn't feed them any more," said Ishaqzai, his face weather-beaten by a lifetime of working in his field.

It was only the second time in his life that drought had forced him to leave his land.&nbsp;

But with Afghanistan ranked as one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, it may not be the last.&nbsp;

"It's the worst drought I have seen," Ishaqzai told AFP in August. &nbsp;

"We had a lot of opium and wheat -- we lost them.&nbsp;

"The land dried up and we didn't have enough to eat."

The United Nations warned in October that at least <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/three-million-afghans-in-urgent-need-of-food-united-nations-171620">three million people were in "urgent" need of food </a>due to the dry spell mainly across northern and western Afghanistan, and could face famine if they do not get help.&nbsp;

The UN is spearheading international efforts to reach 2.5 million of the three million most in need of food by mid-December, UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan Toby Lanzer told AFP previously.

Conditions are miserable in the camps where families displaced by the drought have settled as temperatures drop across the country.&nbsp;

Ishaqzai is relatively lucky. He and his family have a canvas tent provided by an international humanitarian group. Others are living in pitiful, makeshift tents that offer little or no protection against the cold and rain.&nbsp;

Ishaqzai, whose health is failing, wants to go home.

"You can see that my life is almost over in this world," he said.

"If I could have stayed there (in Badghis) I wouldn't have come here, even if you gave me all of Herat city."

Wheat and opium farmer Murad Khan Ishaqzai, 80, has never seen a drought as bad as the one ravaging western Afghanistan where more than 250,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes.

Wheat and opium farmer Murad Khan Ishaqzai, 80, has never seen a drought as bad as the one ravaging western Afghanistan where more than 250,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes. After his crops dried up in Gormach district of Badghis province earlier this year, Ishaqzai rented a truck and drove his family hundreds of kilometres through Taliban-infested areas to the neighbouring province of Herat. There, he and his family of seven took refuge in a squalid camp on the rocky outskirts of the provincial capital where aid agencies are struggling to meet growing demand for food, shelter and sanitation. "The farms were destroyed, our livestock perished, and we left our donkeys in the desert because we couldn't feed them any more," said Ishaqzai, his face weather-beaten by a lifetime of working in his field. It was only the second time in his life that drought had forced him to leave his land. But with Afghanistan ranked as one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, it may not be the last. "It's the worst drought I have seen," Ishaqzai told AFP in August. "We had a lot of opium and wheat -- we lost them. "The land dried up and we didn't have enough to eat." The United Nations warned in October that at least three million people were in "urgent" need of food due to the dry spell mainly across northern and western Afghanistan, and could face famine if they do not get help. The UN is spearheading international efforts to reach 2.5 million of the three million most in need of food by mid-December, UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan Toby Lanzer told AFP previously. Conditions are miserable in the camps where families displaced by the drought have settled as temperatures drop across the country. Ishaqzai is relatively lucky. He and his family have a canvas tent provided by an international humanitarian group. Others are living in pitiful, makeshift tents that offer little or no protection against the cold and rain. Ishaqzai, whose health is failing, wants to go home. "You can see that my life is almost over in this world," he said. "If I could have stayed there (in Badghis) I wouldn't have come here, even if you gave me all of Herat city."

'Worst drought I have seen': Afghan farmers forced to flee

Afghan opium producers were hit hard by the worst drought in living memory this year and excessive supply, with output and prices falling sharply as the area under poppy cultivation shrank, an annual survey said Monday.

In sharp contrast to a bumper 2017, the value of opium -- a key source of funding for the Taliban -- as it left poppy-growing farms fell 56 per cent to $604 million, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said.

Potential opium production from this year's harvest dropped 29 per cent to 6,400 tons -- partially reversing last year's 87 per cent increase -- as cultivation shrank by 20 per cent and yields fell.

The sharp drop in area under cultivation to 263,000 hectares (650,000 acres) was still the second-highest level since systemic opium poppy monitoring began in 1994, according to the Afghanistan Opium Survey, jointly compiled by the UNODC and the Afghan counter-narcotics ministry.

Crops failed on a "major scale" across northern and western Afghanistan due to the dry spell, the report said. Nearly 70 per cent of poppy cultivation was in the militant stronghold of southern Afghanistan.

The Taliban has long profited from poppies by taxing farmers and traffickers, and running their own drug-making factories that turn raw opium into morphine or heroin for export.

Despite falling prices, which the report said was due to the high level of supply in the market, the lack of alternative cash crops has left many Afghan farmers hooked on growing opium poppies.

"Opium poppy has become a crucial component of the Afghan economy that secures the livelihoods of many Afghans who engage in cultivation, work on poppy fields or partake in the illicit drug trade," the report said.

Opium poppy weeding and harvesting alone provided up to 354,000 full-time jobs in 2017 in rural areas, it added.

Agricultural advances, including the use of solar-powered irrigation systems, fertilisers and pesticides, also may have made opium production viable even "under unfavourable natural conditions and falling prices".

Afghan-led efforts to eradicate opium poppies failed to make much of a dent in the illicit industry, with only 406 hectares cleared in four provinces, compared with 750 hectares in 14 provinces last year. Only 10 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces are considered poppy-free, unchanged from 2017.

International donors have spent billions of dollars on counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan over the past decade, including efforts to encourage farmers to switch to other cash crops such as saffron. But those efforts have shown little results.

Addiction levels have also risen sharply -- from almost nothing under the 1996-2001 Taliban regime -- giving rise to a new generation of addicts since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Afghan opium producers were hit hard by the worst drought in living memory this year and excessive supply, with output and prices falling sharply as the area under poppy cultivation shrank, an annual survey said Monday.

Afghan opium producers were hit hard by the worst drought in living memory this year and excessive supply, with output and prices falling sharply as the area under poppy cultivation shrank, an annual survey said Monday. In sharp contrast to a bumper 2017, the value of opium -- a key source of funding for the Taliban -- as it left poppy-growing farms fell 56 per cent to $604 million, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said. Potential opium production from this year's harvest dropped 29 per cent to 6,400 tons -- partially reversing last year's 87 per cent increase -- as cultivation shrank by 20 per cent and yields fell. The sharp drop in area under cultivation to 263,000 hectares (650,000 acres) was still the second-highest level since systemic opium poppy monitoring began in 1994, according to the Afghanistan Opium Survey, jointly compiled by the UNODC and the Afghan counter-narcotics ministry. Crops failed on a "major scale" across northern and western Afghanistan due to the dry spell, the report said. Nearly 70 per cent of poppy cultivation was in the militant stronghold of southern Afghanistan. The Taliban has long profited from poppies by taxing farmers and traffickers, and running their own drug-making factories that turn raw opium into morphine or heroin for export. Despite falling prices, which the report said was due to the high level of supply in the market, the lack of alternative cash crops has left many Afghan farmers hooked on growing opium poppies. "Opium poppy has become a crucial component of the Afghan economy that secures the livelihoods of many Afghans who engage in cultivation, work on poppy fields or partake in the illicit drug trade," the report said. Opium poppy weeding and harvesting alone provided up to 354,000 full-time jobs in 2017 in rural areas, it added. Agricultural advances, including the use of solar-powered irrigation systems, fertilisers and pesticides, also may have made opium production viable even "under unfavourable natural conditions and falling prices". Afghan-led efforts to eradicate opium poppies failed to make much of a dent in the illicit industry, with only 406 hectares cleared in four provinces, compared with 750 hectares in 14 provinces last year. Only 10 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces are considered poppy-free, unchanged from 2017. International donors have spent billions of dollars on counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan over the past decade, including efforts to encourage farmers to switch to other cash crops such as saffron. But those efforts have shown little results. Addiction levels have also risen sharply -- from almost nothing under the 1996-2001 Taliban regime -- giving rise to a new generation of addicts since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Afghan opium producers hit hard by drought in 2018

Recent extreme weather events, such as floods in Kerala, wildfires in Uttarakhand and heat waves in the north and the east, have demonstrated how vulnerable India is to climate change.&nbsp;

Such events, which cause widespread destruction and impact the availability of food and water, are likely to become more frequent and intense in India because of rising average temperatures.

A new report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a global body of climate change scientists, will assess how effective the initiatives of all nations, including India, are in mitigating the rise in global temperatures.

Early leaks of the report indicate its findings are likely to be disquieting. "Climate scientists are struggling to find the right words for very bad news," said the headline of a story in the Washington Post on October 3, 2018.

In the next 10 years the world may reach its carbon pollution quota, the amount of carbon it can release into the atmosphere before the global temperature rises by 1.5 degree Celsius, the Washington Post report said. This could be disquieting news for India, the world’s third-largest carbon polluter after China and the United States.&nbsp;

The IPCC report is also likely to recommend “stricter” climate actions by governments, allowing the use of only a third of the coal being consumed today by 2030, Bloomberg reported on September 30, 2018, quoting the leaked draft of the report. The aim is to keep warming down to 1.5 degree celsius since the industrial era began in 1800.

Here is the problem for India: It is the second-largest coal consumer after China, putting at risk the lives of 600 million Indians to disasters caused by climate change.

Coal currently feeds about 27 per cent of the world’s and 60 per cent of India's energy demand. “Under a bolder outlook that assumes quicker action to protect the atmosphere, coal use would fall to 13 per cent of the energy market by 2040,” Bloomberg said on September 30, 2018, referring to the IPCCs draft recommendation.

As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5-2 degree celsius, India had agreed to cut carbon pollution by raising its renewable power capacity to 40 per cent by 2030 — from 20 per cent in 2018, increase its forest cover, build climate-resilient cities and improve solid-waste management.

Here is where India stands on these pledges today:

Currently, renewable power capacity in India is 20 per cent of installed capacity.

The country’s forest area rose by 1 per cent over two years until 2017, covering 24 per cent of India. But the figure is slightly exaggerated and includes degraded forests and plantations, FactChecker reported on July 4, 2018&nbsp;. Only 24 per cent of the country’s solid waste collected annually by municipalities is processed.

Are India’s nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to reduce greenhouse emissions ambitious enough to help limit global warming to 1.5 degree celsius? No, according to the Climate Action Tracker, an independent scientific group tracking climate actions of the nations.

India’s commitments “are not fully consistent” with the Paris Agreement, the report said. If India achieves all its targets, warming could be held below 2 degree celsius but would still be “too high” to be consistent with the 1.5-degree-celsius limit.

Four looming climate-change threats for India

Increasing heat wave episodes: If there are no changes in the current emissions and environment policies, India’s average annual temperatures are expected to rise by 1.5-3 degree celsius by 2050. Temperatures will rise by 1-2 degree celsius even if preventive measures on the lines of the Paris Agreement are implemented, said a World Bank-study published in June, 2018.

Over 4,800 Indians died due to heat waves across the country over four years up to 2017, with the highest number of deaths in 2015. These heat-wave events are likely to worsen: Under the current emission scenario, they could increase 75 times by the end of the century, gripping the entire stretch from Uttar Pradesh in the north to the southern peninsular.&nbsp;

Their frequency will also increase by 3-9 events in the next 30 years, reaching 18-30 events by the final quarter of the century.

The frequency of severe heat waves in India will rise 30 times by the end of the century, even if India adheres to the Paris Agreement and the global mean temperature rise is limited below 2 degree celsius. If not, even a humid seaside city like Kolkata could experience temperature conditions equivalent to its deadly 2015-heat-wave every year.

Water crisis: The other effects of a two degree celsius rise in the global mean temperature over India could be on the availability of water. The annual runoff in the Ganga river basin is expected to decrease by about 20 per cent and this could worsen the current water crisis. Nearly 600 million Indians are facing high-to-extreme water stress because more than 40 per cent of the annually available surface water is being used. About 2,00,000 people are dying every year due to inadequate access to safe water, a situation likely to worsen because of water shortage by 2050.

Lower living standards for 600 million Indians: By 2050, rising temperatures and changing monsoon rainfall patterns could cost India 2.8 per cent of its gross domestic product and could lower the living standards for nearly 600 million people living in "hotspots" — areas vulnerable to changes in average temperature and rainfall, according to the June 2018 World Bank-study.

Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are predicted to be India's top two climate hot spot states by 2050, followed by Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Jharkhand, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh make up the rest of the 10 worst-affected states. In all 10 states, hotter days and erratic rainfall would increase the stress on farmers, said the study.

Nutrition crisis: The rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) in atmosphere is making our food less nutritious, according to a September 2018-study by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University. It is also making crops such as rice and wheat less nutritious and could result in 175 million people — 1.9 per cent of the global population — becoming zinc-deficient and 122 million protein-deficient by 2050. 
 
(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-india-s-vulnerability-to-climate-threats-2675705">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

Recent extreme weather events, such as floods in Kerala, wildfires in Uttarakhand and heat waves in the north and the east, have demonstrated how vulnerable India is to climate change.

Recent extreme weather events, such as floods in Kerala, wildfires in Uttarakhand and heat waves in the north and the east, have demonstrated how vulnerable India is to climate change. Such events, which cause widespread destruction and impact the availability of food and water, are likely to become more frequent and intense in India because of rising average temperatures. A new report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a global body of climate change scientists, will assess how effective the initiatives of all nations, including India, are in mitigating the rise in global temperatures. Early leaks of the report indicate its findings are likely to be disquieting. "Climate scientists are struggling to find the right words for very bad news," said the headline of a story in the Washington Post on October 3, 2018. In the next 10 years the world may reach its carbon pollution quota, the amount of carbon it can release into the atmosphere before the global temperature rises by 1.5 degree Celsius, the Washington Post report said. This could be disquieting news for India, the world’s third-largest carbon polluter after China and the United States. The IPCC report is also likely to recommend “stricter” climate actions by governments, allowing the use of only a third of the coal being consumed today by 2030, Bloomberg reported on September 30, 2018, quoting the leaked draft of the report. The aim is to keep warming down to 1.5 degree celsius since the industrial era began in 1800. Here is the problem for India: It is the second-largest coal consumer after China, putting at risk the lives of 600 million Indians to disasters caused by climate change. Coal currently feeds about 27 per cent of the world’s and 60 per cent of India's energy demand. “Under a bolder outlook that assumes quicker action to protect the atmosphere, coal use would fall to 13 per cent of the energy market by 2040,” Bloomberg said on September 30, 2018, referring to the IPCCs draft recommendation. As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5-2 degree celsius, India had agreed to cut carbon pollution by raising its renewable power capacity to 40 per cent by 2030 — from 20 per cent in 2018, increase its forest cover, build climate-resilient cities and improve solid-waste management. Here is where India stands on these pledges today: Currently, renewable power capacity in India is 20 per cent of installed capacity. The country’s forest area rose by 1 per cent over two years until 2017, covering 24 per cent of India. But the figure is slightly exaggerated and includes degraded forests and plantations, FactChecker reported on July 4, 2018 . Only 24 per cent of the country’s solid waste collected annually by municipalities is processed. Are India’s nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to reduce greenhouse emissions ambitious enough to help limit global warming to 1.5 degree celsius? No, according to the Climate Action Tracker, an independent scientific group tracking climate actions of the nations. India’s commitments “are not fully consistent” with the Paris Agreement, the report said. If India achieves all its targets, warming could be held below 2 degree celsius but would still be “too high” to be consistent with the 1.5-degree-celsius limit. Four looming climate-change threats for India Increasing heat wave episodes: If there are no changes in the current emissions and environment policies, India’s average annual temperatures are expected to rise by 1.5-3 degree celsius by 2050. Temperatures will rise by 1-2 degree celsius even if preventive measures on the lines of the Paris Agreement are implemented, said a World Bank-study published in June, 2018. Over 4,800 Indians died due to heat waves across the country over four years up to 2017, with the highest number of deaths in 2015. These heat-wave events are likely to worsen: Under the current emission scenario, they could increase 75 times by the end of the century, gripping the entire stretch from Uttar Pradesh in the north to the southern peninsular. Their frequency will also increase by 3-9 events in the next 30 years, reaching 18-30 events by the final quarter of the century. The frequency of severe heat waves in India will rise 30 times by the end of the century, even if India adheres to the Paris Agreement and the global mean temperature rise is limited below 2 degree celsius. If not, even a humid seaside city like Kolkata could experience temperature conditions equivalent to its deadly 2015-heat-wave every year. Water crisis: The other effects of a two degree celsius rise in the global mean temperature over India could be on the availability of water. The annual runoff in the Ganga river basin is expected to decrease by about 20 per cent and this could worsen the current water crisis. Nearly 600 million Indians are facing high-to-extreme water stress because more than 40 per cent of the annually available surface water is being used. About 2,00,000 people are dying every year due to inadequate access to safe water, a situation likely to worsen because of water shortage by 2050. Lower living standards for 600 million Indians: By 2050, rising temperatures and changing monsoon rainfall patterns could cost India 2.8 per cent of its gross domestic product and could lower the living standards for nearly 600 million people living in "hotspots" — areas vulnerable to changes in average temperature and rainfall, according to the June 2018 World Bank-study. Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are predicted to be India's top two climate hot spot states by 2050, followed by Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Jharkhand, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh make up the rest of the 10 worst-affected states. In all 10 states, hotter days and erratic rainfall would increase the stress on farmers, said the study. Nutrition crisis: The rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) in atmosphere is making our food less nutritious, according to a September 2018-study by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University. It is also making crops such as rice and wheat less nutritious and could result in 175 million people — 1.9 per cent of the global population — becoming zinc-deficient and 122 million protein-deficient by 2050. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India’s vulnerability to climate threats

Heavy rains and flooding have claimed lives of 34 people in Afghanistan, reports said on Tuesday.

The flash floods which are caused by heavy rains continuing from a week also caused serious damage to property as well.

Mainly North and center provinces of Afghanistan are affected the most.

According to a report by the&nbsp;news agency, Reuters 900 houses and agricultural lands were damaged. Hundreds of cattle were also killed.

Afghanistan&nbsp;Natural Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) officials are still assessing the damage.

The mountainous area is often a victim of natural disasters.

Earlier this month parts of Afghanistan provinces were facing a serious threat of severe drought&nbsp;affecting&nbsp;lives of almost one million people living in the area.

A&nbsp;statement released by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in April read, "the extremely dry winter has affected 22 provinces across Afghanistan and now threatens to negatively impact the lives of one million people, with an additional two million who could feel its effects over the coming months".

Hashmat Khan Bahaduri, spokesman for the&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;Natural Disaster Management Authority said that the rugged mountainous terrain and the lack of roads mean it is often difficult to evaluate relief needs but "ANDMA had sufficient resources to deal with the problem for now," Reuters reported.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/million-lives-at-stake-as-afghanistan-is-hit-with-drought----132502">One million lives at stake as Afghanistan is hit by drought</a>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The flash floods which are caused by heavy rains continuing from a week also caused serious damage to property as well

Heavy rains and flooding have claimed lives of 34 people in Afghanistan, reports said on Tuesday. The flash floods which are caused by heavy rains continuing from a week also caused serious damage to property as well. Mainly North and center provinces of Afghanistan are affected the most. According to a report by the news agency, Reuters 900 houses and agricultural lands were damaged. Hundreds of cattle were also killed. Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) officials are still assessing the damage. The mountainous area is often a victim of natural disasters. Earlier this month parts of Afghanistan provinces were facing a serious threat of severe drought affecting lives of almost one million people living in the area. A statement released by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in April read, "the extremely dry winter has affected 22 provinces across Afghanistan and now threatens to negatively impact the lives of one million people, with an additional two million who could feel its effects over the coming months". Hashmat Khan Bahaduri, spokesman for the Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority said that the rugged mountainous terrain and the lack of roads mean it is often difficult to evaluate relief needs but "ANDMA had sufficient resources to deal with the problem for now," Reuters reported. Also read: One million lives at stake as Afghanistan is hit by drought

Afghanistan: Floods, heavy rains kill 34 people, damage hundreds of homes

A report released by Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre said that over 500,000 people are still affected by the drought in 10 districts of Sri Lanka.

Affected districts are located in the northern, northwestern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

The worst affected area with 216,670 people suffering from drought is in Puttalam district, news agency Xinhua reported.

Affected people are facing issues like drinking water and crop damage.

The drought has affected food production as well as affected area is a major rice cultivating area.

However, the government has claimed that it had taken all necessary steps to avoid any food shortage during the current circumstance.&nbsp

Affected districts are located in the northern, northwestern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka

A report released by Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre said that over 500,000 people are still affected by the drought in 10 districts of Sri Lanka. Affected districts are located in the northern, northwestern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. The worst affected area with 216,670 people suffering from drought is in Puttalam district, news agency Xinhua reported. Affected people are facing issues like drinking water and crop damage. The drought has affected food production as well as affected area is a major rice cultivating area. However, the government has claimed that it had taken all necessary steps to avoid any food shortage during the current circumstance.

Sri Lanka: Over 500,000 people are affected from drought

South Africa on Tuesday declared a &quot;national disaster&quot; over a drought that has ravaged parts of the country and threatened to leave the city of Cape Town without domestic tap water.

In a notice published in the government gazette, the department of cooperative governance said it had elevated the drought to a &quot;national disaster&quot; after reassessing its &quot;magnitude and severity&quot;.

Cape Town is in the grip of a catastrophic three-year-long drought as sparse winter rains have failed to bring relief, and dam levels have dropped to dangerously low levels.

South Africa&#39;s second city is now facing the prospect of having to turn its taps off under a so-called &quot;Day Zero&quot; scenario to conserve the city&#39;s remaining water supplies.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-africas-cape-town-may-run-out-of-water-in-90-days-29865" target="_blank">South Africa&#39;s Cape Town may run out of water in 90 days</a>

On Tuesday, the predicted date for Day Zero was pushed back to June 11 after consumption cuts.

But widespread drought has gripped large parts of the south and west of South Africa.

The statement said that declaring a national disaster would mean that the national government was responsible for tackling the issue and ensuring immediate relief efforts.

The department of cooperative governance said it had elevated the drought to a 'national disaster' after reassessing its 'magnitude and severity'

South Africa on Tuesday declared a "national disaster" over a drought that has ravaged parts of the country and threatened to leave the city of Cape Town without domestic tap water. In a notice published in the government gazette, the department of cooperative governance said it had elevated the drought to a "national disaster" after reassessing its "magnitude and severity". Cape Town is in the grip of a catastrophic three-year-long drought as sparse winter rains have failed to bring relief, and dam levels have dropped to dangerously low levels. South Africa's second city is now facing the prospect of having to turn its taps off under a so-called "Day Zero" scenario to conserve the city's remaining water supplies. Also read: South Africa's Cape Town may run out of water in 90 days On Tuesday, the predicted date for Day Zero was pushed back to June 11 after consumption cuts. But widespread drought has gripped large parts of the south and west of South Africa. The statement said that declaring a national disaster would mean that the national government was responsible for tackling the issue and ensuring immediate relief efforts.

South Africa declares drought a 'national disaster'

Hundreds of Cape Town residents are being forced to line up overnight to stock up on water as South Africa&rsquo;s second largest economic hub and tourism attraction struggle with a severe drought that could see taps turned off in May.&nbsp;

The lines are a foretaste of what looks set to become a much bigger problem for the city unless rain falls.

On Monday, city officials pushed back &ldquo;Day Zero&rdquo; &ndash; the day taps could run dry &ndash; by a month to May 11 from April 16, as farmers in the water-intensive agriculture sector cut back consumption amid tight restrictions.

Last week, dam levels in Western Cape province fell to 24.5 percent from 25.3 percent the previous week and from nearly 38 percent a year ago.

Cape Town&rsquo;s drought is part of a wider climate change pattern seen around the country including Eastern Cape province, where several towns also face water shortages.

For hard-pressed residents in the port city of 4 million, fear and anxiety stalk the lines as people consider what might happen when large crowds are forced to line up for emergency water rations at collection points.

&ldquo;I think there is going to be chaos,&rdquo; said Saleigh van der Schyff, as he inched forward in a long line up where people lined up to collect water from a natural spring in the Newlands suburb.

&ldquo;I hope Day Zero never comes, but I can see with people wanting to come here and the desperation for water, we are soon going to realize that water is more valuable than oil,&rdquo; he said at 11 pm local time on Monday as a steady stream of people continued to arrive at the spring to fill their containers.&nbsp;

The spring runs 24-hours a day and has at least three security guards on duty to keep tempers in check.

Cape Town city authorities have previously tested out a water collection site at a soccer field, saying it plans to roll out an estimated 200 such water points across the city. People will line up between metal fences under the gaze of the army and police as they wait in line to fill up their containers.

Authorities say each person will be allocated 25 litres of water per day, and have been urging residents of the city to &ldquo;save water or line up for water&rdquo; in the run-up to Day Zero.&nbsp;

From the beginning of February, residents and visitors will be allocated only 50 litres a day, 7 times less than the average U.S. citizen, according to the World Water Council.

&ldquo;I am extremely worried because of all the negative things that could happen,&rdquo; said Sharon O&lsquo;Connor, a 63-year-old financial assistant as she waited her turn.

Close to the brewery spring at Newlands, city officials stepped in after an altercation to access another spring in the area turned violent. One person was arrested, officials said.

Worried about diseases spreading, the city has warned residents about drinking water from unsafe sources across the city.

At another popular collection site where water flows in the suburb of Woodstock that lies at the foot of Table Mountain, pick-up trucks with empty containers pull over under a bridge as people bend down on the pavement to access the water source.

&ldquo;Desperate times call for desperate measures,&rdquo; said one businessman, who only identified himself as Amien.&nbsp;

Cape Town’s drought is part of a wider climate change pattern seen around the country including Eastern Cape province, where several towns also face water shortages

Hundreds of Cape Town residents are being forced to line up overnight to stock up on water as South Africa’s second largest economic hub and tourism attraction struggle with a severe drought that could see taps turned off in May. The lines are a foretaste of what looks set to become a much bigger problem for the city unless rain falls. On Monday, city officials pushed back “Day Zero” – the day taps could run dry – by a month to May 11 from April 16, as farmers in the water-intensive agriculture sector cut back consumption amid tight restrictions. Last week, dam levels in Western Cape province fell to 24.5 percent from 25.3 percent the previous week and from nearly 38 percent a year ago. Cape Town’s drought is part of a wider climate change pattern seen around the country including Eastern Cape province, where several towns also face water shortages. For hard-pressed residents in the port city of 4 million, fear and anxiety stalk the lines as people consider what might happen when large crowds are forced to line up for emergency water rations at collection points. “I think there is going to be chaos,” said Saleigh van der Schyff, as he inched forward in a long line up where people lined up to collect water from a natural spring in the Newlands suburb. “I hope Day Zero never comes, but I can see with people wanting to come here and the desperation for water, we are soon going to realize that water is more valuable than oil,” he said at 11 pm local time on Monday as a steady stream of people continued to arrive at the spring to fill their containers. The spring runs 24-hours a day and has at least three security guards on duty to keep tempers in check. Cape Town city authorities have previously tested out a water collection site at a soccer field, saying it plans to roll out an estimated 200 such water points across the city. People will line up between metal fences under the gaze of the army and police as they wait in line to fill up their containers. Authorities say each person will be allocated 25 litres of water per day, and have been urging residents of the city to “save water or line up for water” in the run-up to Day Zero. From the beginning of February, residents and visitors will be allocated only 50 litres a day, 7 times less than the average U.S. citizen, according to the World Water Council. “I am extremely worried because of all the negative things that could happen,” said Sharon O‘Connor, a 63-year-old financial assistant as she waited her turn. Close to the brewery spring at Newlands, city officials stepped in after an altercation to access another spring in the area turned violent. One person was arrested, officials said. Worried about diseases spreading, the city has warned residents about drinking water from unsafe sources across the city. At another popular collection site where water flows in the suburb of Woodstock that lies at the foot of Table Mountain, pick-up trucks with empty containers pull over under a bridge as people bend down on the pavement to access the water source. “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” said one businessman, who only identified himself as Amien.

Drought forces some Cape Town residents into midnight queues for water

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday announced that an amount of Rs&nbsp;64 crore will be given to farmers under the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana.&nbsp;

&quot;Rs&nbsp;64 crore was transferred in the accounts of farmers in Chhindwara district. Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana is proving to be a boon for them,&quot; Chouhan&nbsp;

A total of 25,000 farmers of Chhindwara got the money to their bank accounts under the price deficit finance scheme.&nbsp;

The Madhya Pradesh Government on January 6 launched Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana scheme which provides facilities to farmers for better irrigation to tackle the crisis of drought.

&quot;When I made the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana people said that the state treasury will go empty due to this scheme, but I told them it doesn&#39;t matter. At least the farmers will be saved,&quot; Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, during a Kisaan Sammelan here.

Other than farmers from Chhindwara, the farmers of Rajgarh district also got the amount in their bank account for soybean under the Yojana.&nbsp;

Chouhan added he had sanctioned a Rs 183-crore relief for Tikamgarh farmers affected by drought.

&quot;Till now, under the cultivation of the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana, 5 lakh 37 thousand farmers have sold their crops in the entire state. This scheme will be implemented in the future, so that farmers should never face crisis,&quot; he added.

(with inputs from ANI)

A total of 25,000 farmers of Chhindwara got the money to their bank accounts under the price deficit finance scheme

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday announced that an amount of Rs 64 crore will be given to farmers under the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana. "Rs 64 crore was transferred in the accounts of farmers in Chhindwara district. Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana is proving to be a boon for them," Chouhan A total of 25,000 farmers of Chhindwara got the money to their bank accounts under the price deficit finance scheme. The Madhya Pradesh Government on January 6 launched Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana scheme which provides facilities to farmers for better irrigation to tackle the crisis of drought. "When I made the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana people said that the state treasury will go empty due to this scheme, but I told them it doesn't matter. At least the farmers will be saved," Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, during a Kisaan Sammelan here. Other than farmers from Chhindwara, the farmers of Rajgarh district also got the amount in their bank account for soybean under the Yojana. Chouhan added he had sanctioned a Rs 183-crore relief for Tikamgarh farmers affected by drought. "Till now, under the cultivation of the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana, 5 lakh 37 thousand farmers have sold their crops in the entire state. This scheme will be implemented in the future, so that farmers should never face crisis," he added. (with inputs from ANI)

MP: Rs 64 crore given to farmers under Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana scheme

Late summer rains and the growing importance of privately produced crops mean North Korea will likely avoid acute food shortages this year despite earlier fears of drought and mounting international sanctions, defectors and experts say.

The U.N.&#39;s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned in July of the worst drought in 16 years in the country, saying there were &quot;serious concerns&quot; about a lack of rainfall in key cereal-producing areas.

&quot;People said they delayed planting because it was too dry in the early spring, but right after that it rained,&quot; said Kang Mi-jin at the Seoul-based Daily NK, a website run by defectors.

&quot;Crop conditions are fine now,&quot; said Kang, who said she had cross-checked the news of the harvest with several sources still inside North Korea.

Weather data for areas in China that border North Korea&#39;s main crop zones show rains picked up from August, helping to alleviate dry conditions.

U.S. Department of Agriculture satellite images suggest North Korea&#39;s crop yields will be similar to last year, said Kim Young-hui, a North Korean defector and a specialist in the country&rsquo;s economy at Korea Finance Corp in Seoul.

North Korea experienced a crippling famine in the 1990s when a combination of bad weather, economic mismanagement and the demise of fuel subsidies from the Soviet Union all but destroyed its state-run Public Distribution System (PDS) of rationing.

The FAO report, which described the PDS as the &quot;main source of food&quot; for around 70 percent of the population, said increased food imports would be required to ensure adequate food supplies for the most at-risk groups, including children and elderly.

However, the rise of privately produced food sold in North Korean markets has slowly overtaken the PDS as the primary distributor of food, a factor which experts say official UN&nbsp;reports overlook.

The reports, often produced in conjunction with the North Korean government, may not be able to focus on markets given the political sensitivity of inherently capitalist activity in a state which still outwardly professes to maintain a Soviet-style command economy, experts say.

&quot;Many people rely completely on the markets and off-the-books private farming for their food,&quot; said Sokeel Park of Liberty in North Korea, an organisation which aids defectors.

&quot;Corrupt officials will also siphon off government supplies and sell them for profit,&quot; said Park. &quot;This means international agencies&#39; regurgitation of Pyongyang&#39;s official food data should be taken with a pinch of salt&quot;.

In the years since the famine, farmers have also been granted increasing autonomy at local levels to proactively change crops, staving off the risk of food shortages, and reducing the reliance on imports.

North Korea&#39;s grain imports totalled $26.5 million in 2016, down from $139.2 million in 2012, according to the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. January to June imports this year were just $10.6 million, albeit up sharply on the $3 million over the same period a year go.

Prices in North Korean markets have remained relatively stable and continue to be a reliable source of food, according to defectors who closely monitor North Korean market prices and activity.

The U.N.&#39;s World Food Programme (WFP) said there was still very little direct information available on how important markets are for household food access. WFP was consulting with the North Korean government to carry out more detailed studies on food security later this year, it said in an emailed response to questions.

Another threat to North Korea&#39;s food security was an increase in U.N. sanctions following the country&#39;s sixth and largest nuclear bomb test earlier this month.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed to a range of new measures including imposing a ban on the country&#39;s textile exports and capping imports of crude oil and fuel.

Gasoline and diesel prices rose sharply since the nuclear test, market data analysed by Reuters on Monday showed.

The sanctions were likely to hit essential items such as oil, sugar, salt, vinegar and milk powder, which are imported, controlled centrally and distributed via state shops at subsidized prices, the WFP said.

But in contrast to more developed countries, agriculture in North Korea relies much more on mass-mobilisation of workers rather than mechanisation such as harvesters and tractors.

So while a lack of oil would likely slow the harvest, the overall impact would not be significant, according to Linda Lewis of the American Friends Service Committee, an NGO running farm projects in North Korea.

&quot;Fuel shortages are not a new problem, and North Korean farmers are quite resourceful,&quot; Lewis said.

The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned in July of the worst drought in 16 years in the country, saying there were "serious concerns" about a lack of rainfall in key cereal-producing areas.

Late summer rains and the growing importance of privately produced crops mean North Korea will likely avoid acute food shortages this year despite earlier fears of drought and mounting international sanctions, defectors and experts say. The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned in July of the worst drought in 16 years in the country, saying there were "serious concerns" about a lack of rainfall in key cereal-producing areas. "People said they delayed planting because it was too dry in the early spring, but right after that it rained," said Kang Mi-jin at the Seoul-based Daily NK, a website run by defectors. "Crop conditions are fine now," said Kang, who said she had cross-checked the news of the harvest with several sources still inside North Korea. Weather data for areas in China that border North Korea's main crop zones show rains picked up from August, helping to alleviate dry conditions. U.S. Department of Agriculture satellite images suggest North Korea's crop yields will be similar to last year, said Kim Young-hui, a North Korean defector and a specialist in the country’s economy at Korea Finance Corp in Seoul. North Korea experienced a crippling famine in the 1990s when a combination of bad weather, economic mismanagement and the demise of fuel subsidies from the Soviet Union all but destroyed its state-run Public Distribution System (PDS) of rationing. The FAO report, which described the PDS as the "main source of food" for around 70 percent of the population, said increased food imports would be required to ensure adequate food supplies for the most at-risk groups, including children and elderly. However, the rise of privately produced food sold in North Korean markets has slowly overtaken the PDS as the primary distributor of food, a factor which experts say official UN reports overlook. The reports, often produced in conjunction with the North Korean government, may not be able to focus on markets given the political sensitivity of inherently capitalist activity in a state which still outwardly professes to maintain a Soviet-style command economy, experts say. "Many people rely completely on the markets and off-the-books private farming for their food," said Sokeel Park of Liberty in North Korea, an organisation which aids defectors. "Corrupt officials will also siphon off government supplies and sell them for profit," said Park. "This means international agencies' regurgitation of Pyongyang's official food data should be taken with a pinch of salt". In the years since the famine, farmers have also been granted increasing autonomy at local levels to proactively change crops, staving off the risk of food shortages, and reducing the reliance on imports. North Korea's grain imports totalled $26.5 million in 2016, down from $139.2 million in 2012, according to the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. January to June imports this year were just $10.6 million, albeit up sharply on the $3 million over the same period a year go. Prices in North Korean markets have remained relatively stable and continue to be a reliable source of food, according to defectors who closely monitor North Korean market prices and activity. The U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) said there was still very little direct information available on how important markets are for household food access. WFP was consulting with the North Korean government to carry out more detailed studies on food security later this year, it said in an emailed response to questions. Another threat to North Korea's food security was an increase in U.N. sanctions following the country's sixth and largest nuclear bomb test earlier this month. The U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed to a range of new measures including imposing a ban on the country's textile exports and capping imports of crude oil and fuel. Gasoline and diesel prices rose sharply since the nuclear test, market data analysed by Reuters on Monday showed. The sanctions were likely to hit essential items such as oil, sugar, salt, vinegar and milk powder, which are imported, controlled centrally and distributed via state shops at subsidized prices, the WFP said. But in contrast to more developed countries, agriculture in North Korea relies much more on mass-mobilisation of workers rather than mechanisation such as harvesters and tractors. So while a lack of oil would likely slow the harvest, the overall impact would not be significant, according to Linda Lewis of the American Friends Service Committee, an NGO running farm projects in North Korea. "Fuel shortages are not a new problem, and North Korean farmers are quite resourceful," Lewis said.

Late summer rains, private food supplies limit impact of North Korea drought

Somalia&#39;s prime minister announced today that 110 people have died from hunger in the past 48 hours in a single region as a severe drought threatens millions of people across the country.

It was the first death toll announced by Somalia&#39;s government since it declared the drought a national disaster on Tuesday.

The United Nations estimates that 5 million people in this Horn of Africa nation need aid, amid warnings of a full-blown famine. 
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire spoke during a meeting with the Somali National Drought Committee. The death toll he announced is from the Bay region in the southwest part of the country alone.

Somalia was one of four regions singled out by the UN secretary-general last month in a USD 4.4 billion aid appeal to avert catastrophic hunger and famine, along with northeast Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen.

All are connected by a thread of violent conflict, the UN chief said. The government has said the widespread hunger &quot;makes people vulnerable to exploitation, human rights abuses and to criminal and terrorist networks&quot;.

The UN humanitarian coordinator, Stephen O&#39;Brien, was expected to visit Somalia in the next few days.

Thousands have been streaming into Somalia&#39;s capital, Mogadishu, in search of food aid, overwhelming local and international aid agencies. Over 7,000 internally displaced people checked into one feeding center recently.

The drought is the first crisis for Somalia&#39;s newly elected Somali-American leader, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

Previous droughts and a quarter-century of conflict, including ongoing attacks by extremist group al-Shabab, have left the country fragile. Mohamed has appealed to the international community and Somalia&#39;s diaspora of 2 million people for help.

About 363,000 acutely malnourished children in Somalia &quot;need urgent treatment and nutrition support, including 71,000 who are severely malnourished,&quot; the US Agency for International Development&#39;s Famine Early Warning Systems Network has warned.

Because of a lack of clean water in many areas, there is the additional threat of cholera and other diseases, UN experts say. Some deaths from cholera already have been reported.

The UN humanitarian appeal for 2017 for Somalia is USD 864&nbsp;million to provide assistance to 3.9 million people. But the UN World Food Program recently requested an additional USD 26 million plan to respond to the drought.

(PTI)

The government said widespread hunger 'makes people vulnerable to exploitation, human rights abuses and to criminal and terrorist networks'

Somalia's prime minister announced today that 110 people have died from hunger in the past 48 hours in a single region as a severe drought threatens millions of people across the country. It was the first death toll announced by Somalia's government since it declared the drought a national disaster on Tuesday. The United Nations estimates that 5 million people in this Horn of Africa nation need aid, amid warnings of a full-blown famine. Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire spoke during a meeting with the Somali National Drought Committee. The death toll he announced is from the Bay region in the southwest part of the country alone. Somalia was one of four regions singled out by the UN secretary-general last month in a USD 4.4 billion aid appeal to avert catastrophic hunger and famine, along with northeast Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen. All are connected by a thread of violent conflict, the UN chief said. The government has said the widespread hunger "makes people vulnerable to exploitation, human rights abuses and to criminal and terrorist networks". The UN humanitarian coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, was expected to visit Somalia in the next few days. Thousands have been streaming into Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, in search of food aid, overwhelming local and international aid agencies. Over 7,000 internally displaced people checked into one feeding center recently. The drought is the first crisis for Somalia's newly elected Somali-American leader, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Previous droughts and a quarter-century of conflict, including ongoing attacks by extremist group al-Shabab, have left the country fragile. Mohamed has appealed to the international community and Somalia's diaspora of 2 million people for help. About 363,000 acutely malnourished children in Somalia "need urgent treatment and nutrition support, including 71,000 who are severely malnourished," the US Agency for International Development's Famine Early Warning Systems Network has warned. Because of a lack of clean water in many areas, there is the additional threat of cholera and other diseases, UN experts say. Some deaths from cholera already have been reported. The UN humanitarian appeal for 2017 for Somalia is USD 864 million to provide assistance to 3.9 million people. But the UN World Food Program recently requested an additional USD 26 million plan to respond to the drought. (PTI)

Somalia drought: ?110 dead from hunger in past 48 hours

Sri lanka is suffering from one of its worst droughts in decades affecting more than a million people, media reports said.

Dry spells&nbsp;continued through out last year affecting the cultivation of paddy rice, the country&#39;s main food crop.

According to the Disaster Management Center (DMC) only around 300,000 hectares out of a possible 800,000 were cultivated, largely because of lack of irrigation, Reuters reported.

People are holding traditional ceremonies, some with the participation of President Maithripala Sirisena, for the dry spell to end.

In 2016, apart from a period of exceptionally high rainfall that caused widespread flooding, the country witnessed only a third of the rainfall compared to the year before.

The Meteorological department has said that the rainfall deficit is likely to remain the same until the monsoon arrives next year in June and July, Reuters reported.

The country&#39;s main reservoirs, currently less than a third full, need to be at least half-filled before the next growing season starts in March for a normal harvest. 
&nbsp; 
Many hydropower projects are affected because of shortage of water. The country is getting 80 per cent of its electricity from coal-fired power plants as a result of the acute water scarcity.

The government has said that it is prepared to take on the challenge with minister for power and energy, Ranjith Siyabalapityia, saying that they are ready with a plan &quot;to provide electricity without a break without any extra cost to the people&quot;.

&quot;We will need assistance from the government and the treasury and they are willing to give us that assistance. We think we can win this challenge without enforcing power cuts on the people,&quot; the minister added.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Only 300,000 hectares out of a possible 800,000 were cultivated, largely because of a lack of irrigation

Sri lanka is suffering from one of its worst droughts in decades affecting more than a million people, media reports said. Dry spells continued through out last year affecting the cultivation of paddy rice, the country's main food crop. According to the Disaster Management Center (DMC) only around 300,000 hectares out of a possible 800,000 were cultivated, largely because of lack of irrigation, Reuters reported. People are holding traditional ceremonies, some with the participation of President Maithripala Sirisena, for the dry spell to end. In 2016, apart from a period of exceptionally high rainfall that caused widespread flooding, the country witnessed only a third of the rainfall compared to the year before. The Meteorological department has said that the rainfall deficit is likely to remain the same until the monsoon arrives next year in June and July, Reuters reported. The country's main reservoirs, currently less than a third full, need to be at least half-filled before the next growing season starts in March for a normal harvest. Many hydropower projects are affected because of shortage of water. The country is getting 80 per cent of its electricity from coal-fired power plants as a result of the acute water scarcity. The government has said that it is prepared to take on the challenge with minister for power and energy, Ranjith Siyabalapityia, saying that they are ready with a plan "to provide electricity without a break without any extra cost to the people". "We will need assistance from the government and the treasury and they are willing to give us that assistance. We think we can win this challenge without enforcing power cuts on the people," the minister added. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Sri Lanka suffers worst drought in decades, over a million affected

China has allocated 199 million Yuan ($29.76 million) to spend on its weather modification programme as part of efforts to combat drought and reduce the impact of natural disasters, the finance ministry said today, as state media reported flooding this year caused at least 237 deaths. 
 
The Ministry of Finance said the additional funding had been made available in order to help China&#39;s regions respond to the large number of &quot;extreme weather events&quot; this year, including heavy flooding in south and central regions as well as drought in the northwest. 
 
China currently uses weather modification technology including cloud seeding to induce rain during droughts, to reduce hail, and to clear the skies ahead of prestigious international events, including the Beijing Olympics in 2008. 
 
China aims to use weather modification technologies to create more than 60 billion cubic metres of additional rain a year by 2020, it said in a document published at the beginning of last year.&nbsp;Armed police demolished a dyke in central China&#39;s Hubei province today in a bid to disperse floodwater following days of torrential rain, state news agency Xinhua said. 
 
As of July 13, 237 people had been killed by floods with 93 others still missing, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said today. 
 
&quot;At present the flood situation remains extremely grim,&quot; CCTV said in a microblog post. 
 
(Reuters)

China aims to use weather modification technologies to create more than 60 billion cubic metres of additional rain a year by 2020

China has allocated 199 million Yuan ($29.76 million) to spend on its weather modification programme as part of efforts to combat drought and reduce the impact of natural disasters, the finance ministry said today, as state media reported flooding this year caused at least 237 deaths. The Ministry of Finance said the additional funding had been made available in order to help China's regions respond to the large number of "extreme weather events" this year, including heavy flooding in south and central regions as well as drought in the northwest. China currently uses weather modification technology including cloud seeding to induce rain during droughts, to reduce hail, and to clear the skies ahead of prestigious international events, including the Beijing Olympics in 2008. China aims to use weather modification technologies to create more than 60 billion cubic metres of additional rain a year by 2020, it said in a document published at the beginning of last year. Armed police demolished a dyke in central China's Hubei province today in a bid to disperse floodwater following days of torrential rain, state news agency Xinhua said. As of July 13, 237 people had been killed by floods with 93 others still missing, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said today. "At present the flood situation remains extremely grim," CCTV said in a microblog post. (Reuters)

China sets aside $30 million for weather modification programme

Mumbai: Cotton stocks in India, the world&#39;s biggest producer, are likely to fall by a third to 4.3 million bales at the end of 2015/16 season as drought slashes output to the lowest level in six years, a senior government official said. 
 
Lower stockpiles will limit India&#39;s exports in the next marketing year starting from Oct. 1 and support global prices that have risen to a two-year high on Wednesday. 
 
India&#39;s production fell 12.4 percent from a year ago to 33.8 million bales in the in the current year, the lowest level since 2009/10, Textile Commissioner Kavita Gupta said on Wednesday following a meeting of the state-run Cotton Advisory Board. 
 
Stockpiles were depleted after drought and pest attacks reduced yields, while exports rose 17.8 percent to 6.8 million bales, she said. 
 
The country mainly exports the fibre to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and China. 
 
Local cotton prices have jumped 32 percent in just two months due to dwindling supplies, forcing India to import cotton from Pakistan. 
 
&quot;A large amount of imported cotton is expected to land in July. It will help in moderating prices,&quot; Gupta said. 
 
For 2016/17 marketing year Indian farmers have cultivated cotton on 6.79 million hectares as at July 8, down 23 percent from a year ago, farm ministry data showed. 
 
Gupta said sowing is likely to pick up in coming weeks as monsoon rains have covered the whole of India. 
 
Cotton planting in India is likely to fall to the lowest in seven years in the 2016/2017 marketing season as farmers switch to other crops. 
 
(1 Indian bale = 170 kilograms) 
 
(Reuters)

Drought this year has slashed output to the lowest level in six years

Mumbai: Cotton stocks in India, the world's biggest producer, are likely to fall by a third to 4.3 million bales at the end of 2015/16 season as drought slashes output to the lowest level in six years, a senior government official said. Lower stockpiles will limit India's exports in the next marketing year starting from Oct. 1 and support global prices that have risen to a two-year high on Wednesday. India's production fell 12.4 percent from a year ago to 33.8 million bales in the in the current year, the lowest level since 2009/10, Textile Commissioner Kavita Gupta said on Wednesday following a meeting of the state-run Cotton Advisory Board. Stockpiles were depleted after drought and pest attacks reduced yields, while exports rose 17.8 percent to 6.8 million bales, she said. The country mainly exports the fibre to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and China. Local cotton prices have jumped 32 percent in just two months due to dwindling supplies, forcing India to import cotton from Pakistan. "A large amount of imported cotton is expected to land in July. It will help in moderating prices," Gupta said. For 2016/17 marketing year Indian farmers have cultivated cotton on 6.79 million hectares as at July 8, down 23 percent from a year ago, farm ministry data showed. Gupta said sowing is likely to pick up in coming weeks as monsoon rains have covered the whole of India. Cotton planting in India is likely to fall to the lowest in seven years in the 2016/2017 marketing season as farmers switch to other crops. (1 Indian bale = 170 kilograms) (Reuters)

Indian cotton stockpiles to fall by a third as output plunges

A protest by Zimbabwean taxi drivers against a police crackdown turned violent on Monday when residents joined in and hurled rocks at police, who fired teargas to disperse the rioters. 
 
In the last month, Zimbabwe has witnessed spontaneous protests against government corruption, shortages of money and government plans to circulate local bank notes as the southern African nation struggles with a drought and a slowing economy. 
 
Zimbabwean taxi drivers, along with owners of taxi firms, accuse police of seeking to raise money for their operations by imposing hefty fines on their vehicles, which they say impacts on their business. 
 
Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told reporters that anti-riot police had deployed in two townships outside Harare and arrested 30 people in connection with the violence. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Police brutality in Harare. Door to door tactic has been adopted now <a href="https://t.co/oX2ho8st8a">pic.twitter.com/oX2ho8st8a</a>
&mdash; Itai Pfungwadzapera (@itaipfungwa1987) <a href="https://twitter.com/itaipfungwa1987/status/749952447444025344">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
 
Charamba said &quot;all those who are inciting and engaging in violence that such misconduct will be severely dealt with&quot;. 
 
A Reuters witness said taxi operators teamed up with residents in Epworth township, south of central Harare, to attack police with stones. Police fired teargas, beat up protesters and broke down doors at some houses, saying they were looking for organisers of the protest. 
 
In Mabvuku township, to the east of the capital, police fired teargas as taxi operators blocked roads with stones and burning tyres, taxi driver Aaron Mapani said. 
 
Monday&#39;s clashes come days after residents protested in the border town of Beitbridge, 600 kilometres south of the capital Harare, last Friday against restrictions on imports of basic goods from South Africa. 
 
(Reuters)

Police fired teargas, beat up protesters and broke down doors at some houses, saying they were looking for organisers of the protest

A protest by Zimbabwean taxi drivers against a police crackdown turned violent on Monday when residents joined in and hurled rocks at police, who fired teargas to disperse the rioters. In the last month, Zimbabwe has witnessed spontaneous protests against government corruption, shortages of money and government plans to circulate local bank notes as the southern African nation struggles with a drought and a slowing economy. Zimbabwean taxi drivers, along with owners of taxi firms, accuse police of seeking to raise money for their operations by imposing hefty fines on their vehicles, which they say impacts on their business. Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told reporters that anti-riot police had deployed in two townships outside Harare and arrested 30 people in connection with the violence. Police brutality in Harare. Door to door tactic has been adopted now pic.twitter.com/oX2ho8st8a — Itai Pfungwadzapera (@itaipfungwa1987) July 4, 2016 Charamba said "all those who are inciting and engaging in violence that such misconduct will be severely dealt with". A Reuters witness said taxi operators teamed up with residents in Epworth township, south of central Harare, to attack police with stones. Police fired teargas, beat up protesters and broke down doors at some houses, saying they were looking for organisers of the protest. In Mabvuku township, to the east of the capital, police fired teargas as taxi operators blocked roads with stones and burning tyres, taxi driver Aaron Mapani said. Monday's clashes come days after residents protested in the border town of Beitbridge, 600 kilometres south of the capital Harare, last Friday against restrictions on imports of basic goods from South Africa. (Reuters)

Zimbabwe protests turn violent as taxi drivers and citizens face off against cops

Imrat Namdev and her younger sister Pushpa Namdev were neighbours in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Chhatarpur district, in the drought-hit Indian region of Bundelkhand. Both relied on the same well for water and, according to police, frequently quarrelled over how much the other was using. 
 
In May, during one fight over water, Pushpa, 42, beat Imrat, 48, with a stick, police say. The injured sister was rushed to a hospital, but died there, and Pushpa was charged with murder. 
 
&quot;Our village faces a severe shortage of potable water,&quot; Imrat&#39;s son, Jitendra, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. &quot;Pushpa always felt my mother drew more water from the well.&quot; 
 
As northern and central India continue to suffer through severe drought and oppressive heat, police in Bundelkhand and several other regions are reporting a rise in violent &ndash; and often deadly &ndash; clashes over water. 
 
After almost ten years of below-average rainfall and several consecutive years of drought, the region&rsquo;s rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wells are drying up. 
 
Disputes are a common problem in many places in India that face water shortages. But Indian police report that the fighting is getting more frequent and bloody. In many parts of the country, neighbours, friends and family are turning on each other, desperate to protect what little water they have left, police records suggest. 
 
Last month, in the tribal-dominated Alirajpur district of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, 13-year-old Surmada, her brother and her uncle used a neighbour&#39;s hand-pump, without permission, to get water for the family&#39;s houseguests. 
 
According to police, the owner of the pump and his son attacked the group with arrows. One pierced Surmada&#39;s eye, killing her. 
 
And in the village of Kanker, in Shivpuri district, a large-scale argument broke out after two motorcyclists got into an accident, causing one to spill the 15-litre (4 gallon) container of water he was carrying. 
 
&quot;The two later called their family members and friends and attacked each other with spears, axes and sticks,&quot; said investigating officer Jaisingh Yadav of Sathanwada police station. Fifteen people were injured, five of them women, he said. 
 
Lal Singh Arya, Madhya Pradesh&rsquo;s urban administration and development minister, said the government is using all its resources to try to make sure everyone has water. But he predicted tensions will remain high until monsoon rains &ndash; which began recently in some areas &ndash; take hold. 
 
&ldquo;There have been disputes over water in many parts of the state because of two consecutive droughts,&quot; he said. &quot;The situation will improve with the monsoon rains.&quot; 
 
Only drinking water&nbsp; 
 
Activists say the government&rsquo;s failure to act to better manage water is partly to blame for the rise in violence. 
 
&quot;The present crisis is the fallout of over-consumption, wasteful use and inefficient water governance systems,&quot; said Ajay Dubey, an activist with the environmental non-governmental organisation Prayatna, based in Madhya Pradesh. 
 
&quot;People are going to any lengths for the sake of water. They&#39;ve lost hope that the situation will ever improve. Things were never so bad,&quot; Dubey said. 
 
According to the Madhya Pradesh water resource department, out of the state&#39;s 139 main reservoirs, 82 are at only 10 per cent capacity and 22 are empty. As authorities try to make the remaining water last until monsoon rains help refill the reservoirs, the measures they have implemented have only exacerbated the sense of desperation. 
 
Across much of the region, authorities have banned the use of water for washing cars or trucks, bathing cattle or irrigating crops. In most cities in Madhya Pradesh, the local government only supplies drinking water on one out of every two to seven days. 
 
The district administration of Sehore in Madhya Pradesh has temporarily taken charge of all water sources, whether government or privately owned, so that it can manage use of the dwindling resource. And in three towns in Madhya Pradesh, the use of water for anything other than drinking is banned. 
 
Lokesh Kumar, sub-divisional magistrate of Ichhawar town, said water can&#39;t be used for farming or industrial purposes until July 5, when the monsoon is underway and authorities hope water sources will be replenished. 
 
For many in rural India, the struggle to survive with very little water is proving too difficult. In areas like Bundelkhand, a growing number of people are leaving their homes and abandoning their work in hopes of finding water &ndash; even just a little more &ndash; somewhere else. 
 
Asandi Das, who lives in a village in Chhatarpur district, plans to take his family to Agra, where the famous Taj Mahal is located, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. He said that right now his family has neither food nor water. 
 
He knows it won&#39;t be easy even in Agra &ndash; or anywhere else &ndash; but hopes to get enough work to make ends meet. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ll not be able to survive in our village,&quot; Das said. &quot;There&#39;s just no water. We&#39;ll have to go to some other place if we want to live.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The water crisis is apparently the fallout of over-consumption, wastefulness, and inefficient water-governance systems

Imrat Namdev and her younger sister Pushpa Namdev were neighbours in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Chhatarpur district, in the drought-hit Indian region of Bundelkhand. Both relied on the same well for water and, according to police, frequently quarrelled over how much the other was using. In May, during one fight over water, Pushpa, 42, beat Imrat, 48, with a stick, police say. The injured sister was rushed to a hospital, but died there, and Pushpa was charged with murder. "Our village faces a severe shortage of potable water," Imrat's son, Jitendra, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Pushpa always felt my mother drew more water from the well." As northern and central India continue to suffer through severe drought and oppressive heat, police in Bundelkhand and several other regions are reporting a rise in violent – and often deadly – clashes over water. After almost ten years of below-average rainfall and several consecutive years of drought, the region’s rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wells are drying up. Disputes are a common problem in many places in India that face water shortages. But Indian police report that the fighting is getting more frequent and bloody. In many parts of the country, neighbours, friends and family are turning on each other, desperate to protect what little water they have left, police records suggest. Last month, in the tribal-dominated Alirajpur district of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, 13-year-old Surmada, her brother and her uncle used a neighbour's hand-pump, without permission, to get water for the family's houseguests. According to police, the owner of the pump and his son attacked the group with arrows. One pierced Surmada's eye, killing her. And in the village of Kanker, in Shivpuri district, a large-scale argument broke out after two motorcyclists got into an accident, causing one to spill the 15-litre (4 gallon) container of water he was carrying. "The two later called their family members and friends and attacked each other with spears, axes and sticks," said investigating officer Jaisingh Yadav of Sathanwada police station. Fifteen people were injured, five of them women, he said. Lal Singh Arya, Madhya Pradesh’s urban administration and development minister, said the government is using all its resources to try to make sure everyone has water. But he predicted tensions will remain high until monsoon rains – which began recently in some areas – take hold. “There have been disputes over water in many parts of the state because of two consecutive droughts," he said. "The situation will improve with the monsoon rains." Only drinking water Activists say the government’s failure to act to better manage water is partly to blame for the rise in violence. "The present crisis is the fallout of over-consumption, wasteful use and inefficient water governance systems," said Ajay Dubey, an activist with the environmental non-governmental organisation Prayatna, based in Madhya Pradesh. "People are going to any lengths for the sake of water. They've lost hope that the situation will ever improve. Things were never so bad," Dubey said. According to the Madhya Pradesh water resource department, out of the state's 139 main reservoirs, 82 are at only 10 per cent capacity and 22 are empty. As authorities try to make the remaining water last until monsoon rains help refill the reservoirs, the measures they have implemented have only exacerbated the sense of desperation. Across much of the region, authorities have banned the use of water for washing cars or trucks, bathing cattle or irrigating crops. In most cities in Madhya Pradesh, the local government only supplies drinking water on one out of every two to seven days. The district administration of Sehore in Madhya Pradesh has temporarily taken charge of all water sources, whether government or privately owned, so that it can manage use of the dwindling resource. And in three towns in Madhya Pradesh, the use of water for anything other than drinking is banned. Lokesh Kumar, sub-divisional magistrate of Ichhawar town, said water can't be used for farming or industrial purposes until July 5, when the monsoon is underway and authorities hope water sources will be replenished. For many in rural India, the struggle to survive with very little water is proving too difficult. In areas like Bundelkhand, a growing number of people are leaving their homes and abandoning their work in hopes of finding water – even just a little more – somewhere else. Asandi Das, who lives in a village in Chhatarpur district, plans to take his family to Agra, where the famous Taj Mahal is located, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. He said that right now his family has neither food nor water. He knows it won't be easy even in Agra – or anywhere else – but hopes to get enough work to make ends meet. "We'll not be able to survive in our village," Das said. "There's just no water. We'll have to go to some other place if we want to live." (Reuters)

Murder, violence on the rise as parched central India battles for water

At least 17 million women and girls in Africa collect water every day, which increases their risk of sexual abuse, disease and dropping out of school, a study published recently has found.

It is one of the first studies to calculate how many women and children were responsible for water collection in Africa, the researchers said.

Using datasets from the World Bank, the UN&nbsp;children&#39;s agency UNICEF, and the US&nbsp;Agency for International Development, researchers found that around 3 million children and 14 million women collect water in sub-Saharan Africa.

&quot;The absolute number of adult females affected by this practice was a shock to me,&quot; Jay Graham, lead author of the study, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

&quot;I knew it would be large... but I didn&#39;t realise it would be that high,&quot; added Graham, who is professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University.

The daily practice causes musculoskeletal damage, soft tissue damage and can lead to early arthritis, Graham said.

People also have to contend with water-borne diseases like schistosomiasis, an infection caused by parasitic worms living in fresh water, he said.

Across all 24 countries examined, including Sierra Leone, Malawi and Niger, more girls were tasked with water collection than boys. Women were also the primary water collector in all countries.

Children are pulled out of school for the daily task, and many women cannot earn an income because of the time and energy it takes to collect water, Graham said.

Since they often need to walk long distances to find water, women and children are also at a higher risk of sexual abuse, he added.

In a statement issued last month, the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone said drought was putting even more pressure on children to find water.

&quot;Children, particularly girls, are out in the street very late at night or as early as 4a.m. in search of water,&quot; the statement read.

&quot;This heightens their vulnerability and contributes to increase in teenage pregnancy, child labour, high rates of school drop outs, and poor school performance,&quot; it said.

Demand for water is expected to increase by 2050 as the world&#39;s population is forecast to grow by one-third to more than 9 billion, according to the United Nations.

As climate change strengthens, drought is becoming more frequent and severe in southern Africa, and that &ndash; combined with this year&#39;s El Nino phenomenon &ndash; is taking a heavy toll on rural lives and economies.

&quot;With climate change, it&#39;s going to be more of an uphill battle,&quot; said Graham. &quot;If there&#39;s focused attention on it and resources, we can improve upon the situation but I do think it&#39;s going to become more difficult.&quot;

But it also crucial to address gender inequality and to recognise the unpaid labour that women do across the globe, he said, which he believes is the underlying issue.

&quot;There is a need to address cultural values and really shifting the belief that women and men are equal too.&quot;

Many have to travel real far to collect water, thus exposing them to the risk of being sexually abused. And there is the added threat of a water-borne disease and other ailments.

At least 17 million women and girls in Africa collect water every day, which increases their risk of sexual abuse, disease and dropping out of school, a study published recently has found. It is one of the first studies to calculate how many women and children were responsible for water collection in Africa, the researchers said. Using datasets from the World Bank, the UN children's agency UNICEF, and the US Agency for International Development, researchers found that around 3 million children and 14 million women collect water in sub-Saharan Africa. "The absolute number of adult females affected by this practice was a shock to me," Jay Graham, lead author of the study, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "I knew it would be large... but I didn't realise it would be that high," added Graham, who is professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. The daily practice causes musculoskeletal damage, soft tissue damage and can lead to early arthritis, Graham said. People also have to contend with water-borne diseases like schistosomiasis, an infection caused by parasitic worms living in fresh water, he said. Across all 24 countries examined, including Sierra Leone, Malawi and Niger, more girls were tasked with water collection than boys. Women were also the primary water collector in all countries. Children are pulled out of school for the daily task, and many women cannot earn an income because of the time and energy it takes to collect water, Graham said. Since they often need to walk long distances to find water, women and children are also at a higher risk of sexual abuse, he added. In a statement issued last month, the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone said drought was putting even more pressure on children to find water. "Children, particularly girls, are out in the street very late at night or as early as 4a.m. in search of water," the statement read. "This heightens their vulnerability and contributes to increase in teenage pregnancy, child labour, high rates of school drop outs, and poor school performance," it said. Demand for water is expected to increase by 2050 as the world's population is forecast to grow by one-third to more than 9 billion, according to the United Nations. As climate change strengthens, drought is becoming more frequent and severe in southern Africa, and that – combined with this year's El Nino phenomenon – is taking a heavy toll on rural lives and economies. "With climate change, it's going to be more of an uphill battle," said Graham. "If there's focused attention on it and resources, we can improve upon the situation but I do think it's going to become more difficult." But it also crucial to address gender inequality and to recognise the unpaid labour that women do across the globe, he said, which he believes is the underlying issue. "There is a need to address cultural values and really shifting the belief that women and men are equal too."

The risks more than 17 million African women and girls have to take to fetch water

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