[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ow that the world extravaganza has ended … one solid month of the “Beautiful Game” …life will soon return to normal for us mortals. The World Cup always puts on display the sheer marvel of the human body in the spirit, determination, passion and style of the teams that participated.
In the cheer of the World Cup matches the daily hum drum of life for many would have been happily overlooked. But now that this journey has ended, atleast in India we should be prepared to wake up to a rude shock of how the world has changed within thirty days of the ‘extravaganza’. When we were debating fouls and penalties awarded and cried over Neymar’s injury, the early exit of Ronaldo at the same time watching the miracle of Messi and the birth of new stars such as Oscar … the clouds of trouble have been brewing over our skies.
It started with the increasing price of onions projected to touch Rs 100/ a kg from Rs 20 if the monsoon fails to now Rs 50 a kg for tomatoes.
Against all this comes news that the country has received an overall 43% less than normal rainfall. India could well be staring a drought with the deficient rainfall.In the north-east the news is also not all good. There has been at least 23 -28% less than normal rainfall and this has been enough to get sections of farmers worried. Not surprisingly since farming here is totally dependent on rainfall in the absence of irrigation schemes. With water such a precious and rare commodity it is criminal that ‘water harvesting’ is yet to become a rule and a punishable offence if new houses and buildings that come up don not make provisions for such arrangements. In fact village councils and village development boards should insist that ‘water harvesting’ becomes a way of life in the village as well as in the fields. This region receives some of the highest rainfall in the world and it sheer shortsightedness and a lackadaisical attitude that have contributed to thinking that water as ‘commodity’ will always be sufficient. The point is, even if it is sufficient water there is no argument for not efficiently utilizing the same because by doing so we help in conserving the land and everything that is in it.
How exactly then are we prepared in Nagaland for news that some of the worst affected states are Punjab and Haryana both of which are staring at a deficiency of 54 per cent and 50 per cent rainfall. These two states are considered the rice bowl of the country. Moreover, 65 per cent of the arable area in India is dependent on rains of this respectively 60 per cent of the total foodgrain produced is cultivated in the kharif season.
The Indian Meteorology Department will declare drought only after looking at the cumulative rainfall for the period from June till September. The Central government is believed to be putting in place a contingency plan in 500 districts. The main focus during such a time is on the availability of short duration and drought resistant seeds, repairing tube wells and arranging power for irrigation.
States have been advised to keep aside 10 per cent of funds available under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana to meet emergency needs. While the next fortnight will be critical, there are already reports of farmers’ distress setting in. The main challenge is not just to tame prices and ensure availability of food grain but more importantly to ensure that livelihoods of millions of farmers do not collapse.
It would be refreshing to hear the contingency plans that the state government has put in place considering 88% of the states grain supplies come from other parts of the country. Times like these also show up just how in woefully short we are in Nagaland to produce food for our own consumption and why having good relations with neighbours is in our interest, with or without a Foothill road.
