Why would more than four gram panchayats, environmental activists from three States, the presiding swami of the Subramanya Temple, botanists, fisheries scientists, and institutions like the Indian Institute of Science oppose a small hydel project in a remote corner of the Western Ghats in Karnataka? Aren’t small hydel projects environmentally safe and beneficial?

Greenko’s 24-MW Kukke I Hydel Project, proposed in the dense forests of Dakshin Kannada, highlights how misleading labels like ‘green’ and ‘small’ can be in reality.

The Kukke I project is proposed across Kumaradhara after its confluence with Gundia, two remarkably biodiverse rivers in the Western Ghats. Greenko has also proposed 24-MW Kukke II project upstream of Kukke I. Local communities have been opposing Kukke I for more than a year due to its hidden submergence details and impacts.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/neither-small-nor-green/article5045672.ece

GUWAHATI: Climate change has hit home. The northeast, which sees devastating floods every year during the rains, has had a deficient monsoon this year. And with little over a month left for the rainy season to end, it is unlikely that the region will receive enough rain to make up for the backlog.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre here, rainfall departure from normal ranged between 38 and 77 per cent across the region since June 1. The rains hit the northeast a few days later than the normal June 5 this year. The normal time of withdrawal of the monsoon is September 30.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/North-East-sees-watered-down-monsoon/articleshow/21947025.cms

Rubber farmers in Kerala have lost at least 30,000 tonnes of latex, worth more than Rs. 550 crore at the current price, to unprecedented rains in June, July and early August that brought tapping to a near complete halt for more than 60 days.

However, Rubber Board is confident that part of the losses can be made up in the coming months when tapping peaks.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/rubber-farmers-lose-at-least-30000-tonnes-to-rain-tyre-industry-panics/article5042636.ece

Parliamentarians involved with clean energy are concerned that there is no firm Government commitment yet for achieving the target of 15 per cent renewable energy in the total electricity mix of the country by 2020. The target was spelled out in the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC).

The Climate Parliament Group, a multi-party forum of Parliamentarians, will soon meet the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to suggest adequate financial, fiscal and policy measures for achieving the NAPCC recommendation and the 12th Plan targets for renewable energy.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/parliamentarians-seek-adequate-measures-to-achieve-climate-change-targets/article5041693.ece

Climate change is predicted to negatively impact millions of farmers across the globe, with some studies predicting up to a 40% decline in crop yields over the upcoming decades. For my dissertation, I travel to Gujarat, India, to understand how farmers are affected by and are responding to climate change. I have created this photostream to share what I have learned from the wonderful farmers who have shared their stories with me over the past four years.

Smallholder Farmers. Smallholder farmers comprise the majority of farmers across India. Despite the fact that agriculture is typically their primary source of livelihood, smallholder farmers have very small landholding sizes (< 2 hectares), little access to technology, and insecure access to irrigation, making them one of the most vulnerable groups to future climate change.

 http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/08/19/indian-farmers-cope-with-climate-change-and-falling-water-tables/

Excess rainfall in key coffee growing areas of Karnataka has hit plantations badly and growers expect the output to shrink by 10-30 per cent over initial crop estimates.

Production Hit

Heavy and continuous rainfall in coffee growing regions of Coorg, Chikmagalur and Hassan districts has triggered berry droppings and fungal disease black rot of coffee, which is seen affecting the production.

These three districts accounted for over 72 per cent of the country’s coffee output of 3.18 lakh tonnes last year.

The Coffee Board in its post-blossom forecast for 2013-14 had projected an output of 3.47 lakh tonnes, a nine per cent increase over last year’s 3.18 lakh tonnes.

The output of arabica, a milder and premium variety was projected to increase by 13 per cent to 1.11 lakh tonnes, while robusta was expected to grow 7.5 per cent at 2.36 lakh tonnes.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/excess-rains-may-lead-to-lower-coffee-output-this-year/article5035269.ece?ref=relatedNews

On a day dedicated to them, farmers in Kerala are counting losses in two months of unusually heavy rains accompanied by spiralling cost of labour and fertilisers.

Farmers still claim the take-home from farming is peanuts.

P.S. Anas, who is Karimaloor panchayat’s best farmer (mixed crop category), said farming was still not remunerative.

His claim might seem at odds with the prices of bananas and vegetables that have shot through the roof of markets following the rains. The best of bananas (nendran) fetch more than Rs. 50 a kg for farmers. Vegetable cow pea of even inferior quality fetches what a farmer commands.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/kerala-farmers-take-home-losses/article5029778.ece

Inside her mud and brick hut in the village of Purva in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Sukhrani is making a pot of lentils for dinner – in complete darkness.

The glow of a candle and the flame from a wood fire are the only sources of light for the woman who is in her 60s.

Her village has no electricity – it has never had any.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23613878

SRINAGAR, India, Aug 16 2013 (IPS) – Zareena Bano has had to skip school 17 times this year to help out on her family’s farm in Tangchekh village in the northern Indian state of Kashmir.

Her teachers say she has the potential to be a brilliant student, but warn that if she keeps missing school she will not go far.

Never before has the 15-year-old had to sacrifice her education in order to support her family, but an acute water crisis in this Himalayan state has made irrigation a constant worry and severely disrupted the way of life for thousands of farming families like her own.

Troubled though they are by the toll the extra labour is taking on their daughter’s schoolwork, Zareena’s parents are in no position to order her to stay away from the fields.

http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/08/kashmiri-farmers-unprepared-for-drought/

Being a women farmer in India isn’t easy at the best of times, due to unequal land rights, a lack of training and limited access to affordable credit. Now changing climate patterns are making it even harder.

Inequality deepens climate challenge for India’s women farmers