Nav Aakash | Seite 30

It is a fact. Indian Economical growth is hugely dependent on monsoons. No matter how much Indian IT sector has grown in previous decade, India is still considered as an agricultural nation. A huge part of Indian exports comprises of agricultural goods. Agriculture in India aids to India’s GDP. Unlike other countries, India is not so rich in mineral deposits. India imports nearly all of its petroleum products from outside the country. India also imports Coal, Steel and other minerals from foreign markets which take a huge toll on Indian treasury. No wonder, India’s only savoir is agriculture. And we all know what Indian agriculture depends on MONSOONS. So, now that we know what forms the base of our economy, let’s see the condition of its very foundations. “Kale megha, Kale megha paani toh barsaao. Bijli ki talwaar nahi boondon ki baan chalaao”, I am sure many of you have heard this song, from the legendary movie LAGAAN. 29 But it seems the “Kaale Megha” have turned berserk lately, remember Uttarakhand? Hundreds of pilgrims of Kedarnath lost their lives, thousands of people rendered homeless and few hundred still missing. No one can forget spine chilling incident where the dead bodies of so many men, women and children were flushed down the holy Ganges. Monsoons have created havoc this year, leaving thousands of people crying for their wrecked homes and loved ones. Remember previous year? So many of the farmers committed suicide because of the drought in Maharashtra. So the trend continues, sometimes in form of floods and other in the form of droughts. India has one of the world’s poorest irrigation facilities. Only a handful of farmers in India have access to artificial irrigation. In case of a drought, Indian farmers have no options left. They can either wait for the clouds to arrive, which may never come or commit suicide. Some farmers find the later as an easy way out. Both floods and droughts create adverse conditions for India’s already poor farmer population.