No drought in the country: Pawar
June 28th, 2009 - 3:52 pm ICT by ANINew Delhi, June 28 (ANI): Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday there is no drought-like situation in the country due to a delay in the onset of monsoon rains.
“There is no drought-like situation in the country due to delay in monsoons and the loss would be more than made up for in the rains during July and August,” Pawar said.
He also denied rumours of a price rise, adding that food procurement was better this year compared to last year.
The government had enough reserve food stocks to tackle a drought-like situation should it exist, Pawar said.
Pawar’s reassuring comments came even as the media played up fears of a drought.
The comments assume significance in the wake of the southwest monsoon advancing further into some parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and the southern regions of Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
The weatherman has forecast rain or thundershowers in some parts of northwest India, including Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, which are experiencing severe heat-wave conditions.
Even as Manipur declared itself to be drought-hit, the Centre said it had put in place a Crisis Management Plan to deal with the drought the country may face in the wake of the delayed monsoon.
The annual rainfall system is expected to cover some more parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim in the next three or four days.
Mumbai, which experienced heavy rain on Friday, got some light showers early on Saturday. Delhi too is likely to receive rainfall over the next two to three days. (ANI)
- Women in Bihar plough fields, sing to please rains gods - Jul 29, 2011
- No drought-like situation, no cause for concern: Pawar - Jun 28, 2009
- Over 60 percent of Bihar reeling under drought - Aug 02, 2010
- Rajya Sabha takes up drought situation - May 08, 2012
- Woe of seven sisters: northeast heading for drought? - Jul 20, 2009
- Pre-monsoon showers cool Bihar - Jun 13, 2011
- Prime Minister to meet Chief Secretaries on delayed monsoon today - Aug 08, 2009
- Monsoon brings hope for Bihar's drought-hit farmers - Jun 24, 2011
- Manipur declared drought-hit state - Jun 27, 2009
- Weak monsoon will affect corporate sector, say captains of industry - Aug 14, 2009
- More than a third of Karnataka declared drought-hit - Oct 04, 2011
- Waiting in anger for monsoon: Drought in Manipur, protests in Delhi (Roundup) - Jun 27, 2009
- Bihar set for a normal monsoon - Jun 08, 2011
- Pawar warns of draught like situation in North India - Jul 10, 2009
- Rain gods smile: monsoon in Bihar, heading north (Roundup) - Jun 28, 2009
Tags: agriculture minister, annual rainfall, chhattisgarh, crisis management plan, food procurement, food stocks, heavy rain, jharkhand, light showers, monsoon rains, monsoons, northwest india, sharad pawar, sikkim, southern regions, southwest monsoon, thundershowers, wave conditions, weatherman, west bengal