India Wants Funding, Tech in Paris Text
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CHENNAI THE HINDU WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2015 NEWS | 13 CLIMATE TALKS Double whammy for debt-hit U.P. farmers India wants funding, OMAR RASHID BUNDELKHAND (U.P.): Moolchand Kumar Prajapati and Jaidevi broke down as they spoke of their son Sunil, 24, who tech in Paris text hanged himself last week. The past year was excep- tionally difficult for the Praja- The pact will have framework on pledges by countries pati family, which owns bare- ly 1.5 bighas (about half an G. ANANTHAKRISHNAN acre) of land at Gehra village of Mahoba district in the PARIS: As talks on the text of heart of Bundelkhand. After the Paris agreement began on two successive crop failures, Tuesday, Indian negotiators the rabi crop this year looked said they were introducing promising, but a few spells of provisions in it for a technolo- hailstorm dashed all hopes. gy and financial mechanism Reeling under a debt of Rs. 2 that will make it possible to lakh, the fresh stretch of raise low-cost capital and drought, the third year in a widely deploy renewable row, proved to be the crip- BITTER HARVEST: A farmer on his drought-hit field at Gehra village of Mahoba district in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh technologies. pling blow for a dispirited Su- on Tuesday; and the wife and mother of a young farmer, Sunil Prajapati, who hanged himself, at the village.— PHOTOS: RAJEEV BHATT On Tuesday, the focus was nil. He left behind his wife on making technological col- and a month-old infant. “He tricts, one is met with vast Distressed farmers Many farmers even aban- tre even as a team from New laboration written into the lost his mental balance under swathes of parched agricul- lose all hope as doned their land and migrat- Delhi is on a tour of the Paris deal, Ajay Mathur, Di- this stress,” Moolchand says. tural land. Dry crops lie wast- ed to other States to take up parched region to assess the rector-General, Bureau of En- As thousands of families in ed on acres and acres of farm- their rabi crops farming on smaller plots. The situation. ergy Efficiency, told the People walk by a poster outside the France pavilion reading Bundelkhand hit by severe land. For miles, there is little are hit by spells sources of irrigation have The officials also claim they media. “We have solutions!” during the conference on climate change drought, Moolchand’s family sign of green. Canals and of hailstorm failed and power supply does are disbursing Rs. 4,500 for The agreement to be reac- on the outskirts of Paris. — Photo: AFP struggles for survival. They ponds have dried up. Since not last more than 12 hours a non-irrigated land and Rs. hed in Paris would be in the could grow only 25 kg of oil- the terrain is rocky, tube day. Farmers are forced to 9,000 for irrigated land as form of a framework that 100 gigawatts by 2022 would 4 tonnes, as against 1 tonne for seeds in the season and have wells are difficult to dig. Offi- there have been starvation spend money on diesel compensation to each farmer. gives recognition to the vol- require the creation of ba- India, Mr. Mathur said. to travel 10 km on a broken cials admit that with sinking deaths in Bundelkhand in the pumps to irrigate land. “One untary pledges lancing technologies to Pursuing the question of path to the nearest market to groundwater levels, the wa- current season, they admit to bigha of land requires 10 Long wait made by countries handle the transition responsibility for historical buy basic food items. This is ter crisis will get worse. In reporting an increase in litres of diesel,” says Nandku- However, when it was (described as In- and fluctuations. emissions, India has said it fa- the worst crisis faced by the the absence of resources, deaths due to sadma (shock). mar Dwivedi, a farmer. While pointed out to them that many tended Nationally These concerns make vours the stocktaking of car- family, which received just farmers are forced to feed farmers blame natural calam- farmers had complained that Determined Contri- it imperative for the Pa- bon on a global scale. As Rs.750 as compensation for husk to their animals, which Suicides and migration ity and government apathy they were yet to receive the butions). It has to ris agreement to incor- countries cut the greenhouse damage to crops but have not are starving to death. In Padui village in Banda for their extended woes, Mr. compensation, Suresh Kumar, contain provisions porate suitable provi- gases over the years, and a re- received a penny as drought “I have never seen such a district, on November 27, a Sagar says the crisis has District Magistrate of Banda, on finance and tech- sions, Mr. Mathur said. view is done every five or 10 relief yet. The Prajapati fam- poor monsoon. We did not farmer, Devi Deen Sahu, died worsened due to the “de- said: “We have given out relief nology, which are In the government's years, nations would get more ily’s woes typify the agrarian need an umbrella. Even pot- of a “heart attack” while he struction of the natural in- to 4.5 lakh farmers through central to goals to view, not enough atten- ambitious with future targets. crisis in the Bundelkhand holes did not get filled,” said was in the field. Villagers be- frastructure” of the region. transparent means. Some ex- reduce carbon emis- tion is being paid to In- Even with all voluntary ac- region. Ashish Sagar, an environ- lieve he was in despair be- “Forests have been depleted ceptional cases may be there sions for developing coun- dia's proposed scaling up of tions, the rise in temperature The Samajwadi Party gov- ment activist based in Banda. cause of repeated losses of and hundreds of ponds are where people have not re- tries as they grow. The quan- generation from renewable over the pre-industrial era ernment has declared 50 dis- In the district which is at the crop and a Rs. 1.7-lakh debt. dying or are encroached up- ceived the full amount.” tum of reductions that sources a staggering seven would be not be able to meet tricts drought-affected. From centre of the crisis, less than Padui has achieved notoriety on. Rampant illegal sand Officials say they are identi- countries make and the time times, while it was receiving the targeted 2 degrees C. June to September 30, the 10 per cent of sown land was for farmer suicides over the mining and corruption have fying families with members frames would be part of allied criticism for stating that it Asked about the Indian po- State received only 53.5 per harvested this season, M. past decade. The limelight at- ruined rivers and pastures unable to work under instruments of the would continue to use coal, sition on taxing carbon to re- cent of the average rainfall. In Venkateshwarlu, Divisional tracted politicians and many are vanishing,” Mr. Sagar MGNREGS and providing framework. which represents 160 GW to- flect its true price, as several 33 districts, the figure was be- Commissioner, says. relief measures for the re- said. The State has suspend- them one quintal of wheat and Currently, investors in re- day. Coal is expected to dou- speakers including French tween 40-60 per cent, while Due to the distress, farm- gion. But little has changed in ed all revenue collection till 50 kg of rice. “Our priority is newables have to borrow cap- ble in capacity. By 2030, India President Francois Hollande in 16 districts, rainfall was be- ers are forced to take loans in Padui. Its farmers struggle March 31 and has intensified to make sure they don’t starve ital at high rates of interest, plans to have solar and wind suggested on Monday, Mr. low 40%. Most of these dis- the hope that the government for a living and locals say a drive to extend employ- to death. We are ensuring that and this would not enable a generation touching 200 GW. Mathur said India was already tricts are in Bundelkhand and would waive their debts. over 400 young men have mi- ment under MGNREGS to fair price shops work effi- quick scale up or reduction in What is not realised is that levying Rs.200 a tonne on adjoining regions. However, they are caught in a grated to Gujarat, Madhya 150 days. The Samajwadi Par- ciently. We are seeking help the real cost of power, Mr. even in 2030, the per capita coal, and price of transport Driving through Banda, debt-trap and are struggling Pradesh and New Delhi in ty government has also from NGOs to provide coun- Mathur said. Moreover, in- use of coal in the United fuels was high to consumers Mahoba, Kanpur Dehat, Fa- to make ends meet. Though search of a living, in the past sought a relief package of selling to farmers,” said ducting solar of the order of States would be an estimated due to taxation. tehpur and Chitrakoot dis- officials cannot confirm if few years. Rs.2,050 crore from the Cen- Mr.Venkateshwarlu. Medicated mosquito nets Andhra Pradesh Peter remanded in judicial custody IS recruit MUMBAI: A court here on Tues- given any ‘deceptive reply’ day remanded former media during the polygraph test to fight malaria in Tripura Rahman’s links baron Peter Mukerjea in judi- conducted on him on Satur- cial custody till December 14 day and Sunday.