Ex-PM Deve Gowda writes to PM Modi on plight of mango growers
Bengaluru, Jun 22 (PTI): Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Sunday sought PM Narendra Modi's intervention to rescue Karnataka farmers facing steep losses due to poor yield of mangoes, price crashes, and interstate trade disruptions.
In a letter to Modi, Gowda said that Karnataka, a major horticulture hub in the country, especially in the production of mangoes, is witnessing an unprecedented crisis.
He noted that mangoes are grown on 1.39 lakh hectares across districts like Bengaluru Rural, Urban, Chikkaballapura, Kolar, and Ramanagara, with an expected production of eight lakh to 10 lakh tonne during the Rabi season. However, this year, output has fallen by more than 70 per cent due to adverse weather and disease.
"The situation worsened between May and June when market arrivals surged, causing mango prices to plummet from Rs 12,000 per quintal to as low as Rs 3,000 per quintal--far below the cultivation cost of Rs 5,466 per quintal," he said.
Many small and marginal farmers are now unable to recover even their input costs, pushing them into distress and triggering protests in several districts.
The former prime minister also highlighted the additional blow to growers along Karnataka's border due to Andhra Pradesh banning the entry of Totapuri mangoes into its Chittoor district.
"This interstate restriction has disrupted the supply chain and aggravated post-harvest losses," he wrote, adding that the Karnataka Chief Minister and Chief Secretary have already raised the matter with Andhra counterparts, seeking a reversal of the ban.
Calling the situation dire, he urged PM Modi to immediately instruct central agencies like National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF) to begin mango procurement under the Price Deficiency Payment (PDP) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).
He suggested that procurement should be done directly from farmers and through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to ensure fair prices and prevent further rural distress.
The JD(S) patriarch expressed confidence that the Centre would extend timely support to safeguard the livelihoods of mango farmers in Karnataka.
He also wrote a similar letter to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
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Kerala reels under heavy rains; IMD issues red alert in three districts
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 26 (PTI): Heavy rains since Friday night have caused widespread damage across several parts of Kerala, raising water levels in rivers and dams and uprooting trees, which resulted in one death and injuries to several persons.
It also prompted the India Meteorological Department, on Saturday evening, to upgrade its rain alert status in Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur districts from 'orange' to 'red'.
It also issued an 'orange alert' for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts, and a 'yellow alert' for the remaining three.
A 'red alert' indicates "heavy to extremely heavy" rainfall of over 20 cm in 24 hours. An 'orange alert' denotes "very heavy" rainfall of 11 to 20 cm, while a 'yellow alert' signals "heavy rain" between 6 and 11 cm.
The IMD said rains are likely to persist over the next five days, accompanied by strong winds reaching speeds of 50-60 kmph till Sunday.
Fishing has been advised against along the Kerala-Karnataka-Lakshadweep coasts until July 30 due to rough seas and strong winds.
In Kozhikode, overnight rains and strong winds uprooted trees and caused extensive damage to houses and vehicles, prompting shifting of several families to safer places. However, no one was injured.
Power lines and electric poles were brought down, disrupting supply in many parts of the district.
Similar incidents were reported from Kottayam, Palakkad, and Kannur districts.
In Kannur, one person died when a tree fell on his house. In similar incidents in the district, few others were injured.
In Kottayam, besides the damage to homes due to uprooted trees, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) suffered a loss of Rs 2.43 crore due to several electric poles and power cables being brought down by the strong winds and rain in the district on Friday and Saturday.
In Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad regions of Alappuzha district, the heavy rains resulted in inundation of several low-lying areas, including roads and homes, and rise in river waters to dangerous levels.
With water levels rising in their catchment areas, shutters of the Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad, the Aliyar dam in Palakkad and Kakkayam Dam in Kozhikode district have been raised to release excess water.
Residents living downstream have been advised to stay vigilant.
The Irrigation Design and Research Board (IDRB) and Central Water Commission (CWC) have issued alerts for several rivers that have "risen dangerously", including the Manimala, Achankovil, and Pamba rivers in Pathanamthitta; Vamanapuram in Thiruvananthapuram; Pallikkal in Kollam, Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam and Thodupuzha in Idukki.
People residing along riverbanks have been urged to exercise caution and avoid entering or crossing the water bodies.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has warned of possible sea surges and high waves reaching 2.8 to 3.4 metres along the Kasaragod and Alappuzha coasts till 8.30 pm on Sunday.
Fishermen and coastal residents have been advised to remain alert, it added.
