Anju Agnihotri Chaba
Articles By Anju Agnihotri Chaba
Punjab buckles under severe waterlogging, drainage department struggles with funds
Several parts of the state have faced waterlogging and resultant crop damage. The water-logging has also led to damage of properties in some parts of the Malwa resion, and the Ghaggar river is overflowing due to a breach.
Why is Punjab’s ambitious ‘green scheme’ not ripe for picking?
For the first time in 2012, Punjab launched a major afforestation initiative ‘Greening Punjab Mission’ (GPM) to increase its forest cover to 15 per cent. It was envisaged that 40 crores tree saplings would be planted by 2020 at the cost of Rs 1900 crore under the scheme.
Punjab: Rice sowing in 95% targeted area done, area under paddy records a fall
Data sourced from Punjab Agriculture Department’s statistics wing showed that out of 29 lakh hectare (LH), rice (both paddy and Basmati) transplantation has been done on 27.46 lh, while 18, 492 hectare area has been brought under Direct Seeding Rice (DSR) which led to total sowing on 27.64 LH till July 14.
BJP inducts then throws out tainted retired IAS officer
As part of its ongoing membership drive, state party president Shawait Malik in the presence of Union Minister Som Parkash and other senior leaders, inducted retired IAS officer Dr Swaran Singh into the party.
It pays to pay farmers to fix free power problem
Punjab’s novel ‘Save water, Earn money’ solution for its Rs 6,000-crore annual subsidy bill.
Punjab: At 41%, combined storage of 3 dams up significantly against 17% last year
The total live storage capacity of these dams is 14.73 billion cubic metres (BCM) and as per CWC, the live storage available in these reservoirs is 6.055 BCM which is 41 per cent of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs.
Punjab: Rainfall surge makes up for early deficit, but water logging dogs urban centers
Till July 10, Punjab was 44 per cent rain deficit. But with the recent surge in rainfall, Punjab has received 147.9 mm against normal 135 mm for this time of year.
America calling
In a bid to reach America, many roads from Mexico region — referred to as “donkey routes” colloquially — end up here. The US has announced nationwide raids to round up illegal immigrants starting today
Parched Punjab farms consume 97% of groundwater extracted
The NITI Aayog, in a recent report, has claimed that four cities from Punjab, out of 21 across India, face groundwater extinction by 2020.
That sinking feeling: Water table dip and how Punjab must fight the looming crisis
The Indian Express explains how Punjab, which has only 1.57 per cent of the total land in the country, is the state with most cities (4 — Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala) in the list after Rajasthan (5).
After dry June, rain deficit haunts Punjab, Haryana in July
While Punjab received 54.4 mm rain against required normal 97.7 mm till date in July, Haryana has received 40.7 mm against 87.4 mm required rain for July so far.
High rates for spring maize prompts Punjab farmers to consider crop for kharif season too
Kharif season is considered the main season in Punjab for sowing maize. Last year, 1.08 lakh hectares area was under maize and this year, till July 8, the area touched 1.25 lakh hectares (a surplus of 17,000 hectares or 41,990 acres).
In rural Punjab, few takers for piped water supply
Punjab has 13,006 villages including around 1500 villages that depend on ‘hand pumps’ as the main source of drinking water in three zones — north, south and central — of Punjab.
Punjab: Transforming villages with WhatsApp, NRIs
What government failed to do in decades, villagers have done in months — getting sewerage lines laid — with funds contributed by people settled abroad and with tech expertise of Baba Seechewal and his team
Punjab tops country in over-exploitation of water, no water meter in urban households
Experts claim that metered water supply is necessary not only for charging water usage but for conserving the ground water.
Bhola drug case: Security cover curtailed, ED official writes to DGP about threat to life
In the e-mail sent to the DGP, he mentioned that he has been supervising the high profile drug case in which several persons with criminal background were involved and many among them were out on bail.
Punjab: MSP hike leaves both paddy, non-paddy crop farmers unhappy
Paddy growers said that with just Rs 65 increase per quintal from Rs 1750 to Rs 1815 per quintal, is just 3.6 per cent increase in MSP. While input cost has gone up 10 to 15 per cent.
Rain deficiency at 50 per cent, Punjab records first dry June since 2014
Neighbouring Haryana too witnessed driest June after 2016 with 60 per cent deficient rain this year. The joint capital of both the states Chandigarh too got 81 per cent less rain than normal in June this year.
Punjab defies country-wide trend, kharif crop sowing up by 20 per cent in June
The data sourced from the Punjab Agriculture Department, till June 24, Punjab had completed Kharif sowing on 18.68 lakh hectares, which is nearly 52 per cent of the total sowing, against the 11.50 lakh hectares on the same date last year which was around 32 per cent of the total kharif crop sowing.
Hoshiarpur sees spike in petty thefts, snatching; accused almost always addicts
Both police and the locals attribute such incidents to drug addiction among the mostly unemployed youth.
