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Time of India
25-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Cloud computing
Monsoon's here early, IMD's predicted rain surplus, food stocks are good, but there's much to watch out for On Saturday, Niti Aayog announced India's become a $4tn economy, edging past Japan to take fourth place. And monsoon arrived in Kerala eight days early, beating IMD's Sunday forecast. This is the earliest monsoon has touched mainland India since 2009, and it bodes well for economic growth. An early monsoon, combined with IMD's projections of above-normal rainfall, would likely lead to a bumper kharif harvest, essential for keeping food prices and inflation in check. FY 2025-26 has anyway started with abundant grain stocks, so much so that GOI wants states to lift three months' rations of wheat and rice to clear warehouses for the incoming wheat crop. Monsoon matters in all this because India's crop yields remain heavily rain-dependent. In MP, half of the acreage is rain-fed. Maharashtra's agriculture is 80% rain-fed. So, both quantum and distribution of rainfall are important. Last year, for example, monsoon ended with a rain surplus overall, but Punjab, UP, Bihar – major agrarian states – had a rain deficit. On the other hand, Rajasthan and Gujarat had a problem of plenty. While drought and flood can be averaged out on paper, that doesn't happen in the field. And any shortfall in production jeopardises schemes like PMGKAY, under which more than 81cr people are provided free grains. In 2022, Centre had to reduce wheat allocation under the scheme for two years, due to lower output. Another sobering thought: early monsoons, like child prodigies, don't always live up to their promise. The 2009 season turned out to be India's third driest since 1901. Forecasting has improved since then, but still, a lot can happen between Sept and now. What's certain, though, is that good monsoon or bad, cities, where 35% of Indians live, will bear its brunt. While below-average rain will leave taps dry, and plunge the water table further, leading to secondary effects like ground subsidence, the dangers of excessive rain are well-known. What Bengaluru went through last week – and last year, when it got 111mm of rain on June 2 – is partly a result of old infra that can't cope with the new pattern of torrential rain. But more than that, it's a sign of the complete abandonment of planning in urban extensions. So, it's time officials stop complaining about 'unseasonal' and 'excessive' rain – which is the new normal – and start building urban infra to cope with it. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Dibrugarh gears up for monsoon with pre-emptive food security measures
1 2 3 4 5 6 Dibrugarh: Food, public distribution and consumer affairs department in Dibrugarh has implemented comprehensive measures to ensure food security during the upcoming monsoon season, when the district typically faces flooding urgent preparedness meeting was convened on Tuesday, under the chairmanship of additional district commissioner Biraj Boruah, bringing together key stakeholders responsible for maintaining the district's food supply chain during potential flood gathering included representatives from multiple agencies crucial to food distribution logistics, including the director of the Dibrugarh branch of the Indian Food Corporation, transporters, secretaries of cooperative societies, and members of the fair price shop owners' stakeholders deliberated on strategies to ensure uninterrupted food supply to vulnerable areas that often become isolated during heavy flooding. The meeting specifically emphasised the importance of advance preparation for the months of June, July and Aug — typically the peak monsoon period in Assam.A significant decision made during the meeting was to expedite the distribution of rice under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). All fair price shop owners and cooperative society secretaries were instructed to collect their rice allocations for the month of June, July and Aug well in advance from designated storage facilities."Our priority is to ensure that no resident faces food shortag during the monsoon season. We have adequate rice stocks to meet emergency needs. Our warehouses are strategically located to serve flood-prone areas, and we've already begun repositioning supplies closer to historically vulnerable zones. Fair price shop owners have been directed to maintain at least three months' worth of supplies beginning in May, so that even if roads are cut off, residents will have access to essential food items," the ADC preparedness strategy also includes identifying alternative transportation routes and establishing floating distribution centres that can reach isolated communities when conventional access becomes district administration has also established a 24/7 control room that will monitor water levels and coordinate food distribution throughout the monsoon season. Mobile phone numbers of all key personnel have been widely distributed to enable rapid communication during emergencies.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
State to distribute three months' ration in one go from May 21
Bhopal: The food and civil supplies department has directed all district collectors to ensure that beneficiaries of the public distribution system (PDS) receive a three-month supply of ration — covering June, July, and August — in a single phase starting May the order issued on May 10 states that the move was taken ahead of the monsoon because transportation becomes difficult during monsoons, some are linking it to an increase in tensions at the borders. However, a PDS shopkeeper, on condition of anonymity, said, "Orders like one-time distribution of food grains for two or three months have happened in the past too due to several reasons like over-availability of stocks, etc. However, this time it is the first time since the PMGAY scheme was launched that an order like this has been issued."The order issued by the commissioner of food and civil supplies to all the collectors of the state states, "To address potential issues in the transportation, storage, and distribution of ration supplies due to possible floods during the monsoon season, and to ensure that eligible families receive ration supplies within the stipulated time under NFSA/PMGKAY, a one-time allocation, lifting, and distribution of ration supplies for eligible families from June to August 2025 is to be carried following actions should be ensured: 1. Operation Sindoor Pak drones enter Indian airspace, explosions heard just hours after truce deal Sirens, explosions in border districts after Pak breaks deal: What we know so far 'What happened to ceasefire?' J&K CM after explosions heard across Srinagar Ensure the distribution of ration supplies allocated for May 2025 to all eligible families by May 20, 2025. 2. From May 21, 2025, ensure the distribution of one-time ration supplies (including food grains, sugar, and salt under PMGKAY, MDM, ICDS, KKY) for June to August 2025 according to eligibility. 3. The one-time allocation for June to August 2025 has been issued, and it should be lifted from supply centres and stored at fair price shops by May 31, 2025."
