Implementation of a recently approved water supply project of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board will cause water shortage in Thatta and render over 300,000 acres of fertile land barren, according to water experts, parliamentarians, growers and nationalist leaders.

The K-IV, which envisages supply of 1200 cusecs of water per day to Karachi, in addition to the three existing schemes for supply of water to the metropolis from Keenjhar Lake, was approved recently.

Erosion by the Teesta River has rendered around 70 families of three villages under Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila homeless in the last four days.

The affected villages are Kalmati, Tajpur and Gokunda.

The erosion-hit people have taken shelter at their relatives' houses at the adjoining villages.

The river devoured at least two fruit gardens, three bamboo clusters and about 32 acres of cultivable land, said locals.

Victim Nur Muhammad of Kalmati village told this correspondent that the erosion devoured several houses at the three villages.

Implementation of the Prime Minister’s Rehabilitation Package for farmers in suicide-prone districts in the State has come a cropper.

The government has failed to spend allocations made for the payment of ex gratia amount to distressed families of farmers and distribution of certified seeds, according to an evaluation study. The study conducted by professors M J Bhende and P Thippaiah of the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore, has also noted that the government has disbursed the ex gratia amount to ‘rich farmers’ and not to the actual beneficiaries.

In April 2011, 20 farmers from Dhira Patra, Bukan Khanwala, Jhok Hari Har, Basti Natheshah and Sade ke Rahela villages of Ferozepur district in Punjab joined hands for group farming. They contributed Rs 60,000 each and formed Dhira Patra farmer help society. Fifteen more joined them soon. A little more than a year down the line, the group is farming on about 10,000 acres of land in this part of Punjab.

The controversy surrounding Bt brinjal, the first genetically modified food crop developed in India, has turned murkier with the National Biodiversity Authority planning to launch prosecution against a seed company for alleged bio-piracy. The National Bio-diversity Authority, which regulates matters pertaining to biodiversity protection, conservation and use in India, will lodge a complaint against the alleged violators of the Biological Diversity Act for “bio-piracy in promoting Bt brinjal”.

US may reduce its global crop estimate by 1.2% next month
Droughts withering wheat crops from the US to Russia to Australia will probably spur the biggest reduction in global supply estimates since 2003 and drive prices to the highest in almost a year. Kansas, the top US grower of winter wheat, is poised for its driest May on record, the state’s climatologist estimates. Ukraine and Russia, accounting for 11% of world output, have endured drought conditions for three months, University College London data show.

Large-scale crop plantations are expanding at a rapid pace across southeast Asia, with multinational firms often benefiting the most at the expense of local communities and the environment, two U.N. rights experts warned on Wednesday.

Demand for agrofuels, such as those derived from sugar cane and palm oil, has boomed thanks in part to the United States, Europe and other rich economies seeking alternative ways to fuel their cars and homes in order to reduce their carbon emissions.

Green and rights organisations on Wednesday demanded adequate allocation in the upcoming national budget keeping climate change adaptation activities in consideration.
The organisations working on climate change made the demand at a press conference at the National Press Club to press home their 11-point charter of demands.

The Punjab government is spending Rs.36 billion to upgrade irrigation system for promotion of agriculture sector in the Punjab, Irrigation officials said.

They added that under the programme drip and sprinkle irrigation would be installed on 1.20 lakh acres of land. In addition, 9,000 water courses would be improved across the Punjab and 3,000 laser land levelers would be provided on subsidy basis, they said.