The elnino effect and agriculture in India.
Poverty, superstition and unemployment are the major problems of India. Along with these problems another monster has taken place. During the last few years, many people have become the food of this demon.
The name of this unwanted guest is EL-NINO. In Spanish language, its meaning a "Little" boy but in reality, it's a gigantic monster who knows the language of drought, destruction and death.
EL-NINO is a shift in ocean temperature and atmospheric condition in the tropical pacific that disrupts weathers all over the world. This giant affects all the countries and India is one of them.
India agriculture is heavily dependent on the climate of India. The south west summer monsoon is dominant in securing water for irrigating Indian crops. Sometimes, in some parts of India, the failure of the monsoon results in water shortage. In the path, important drought has taken place. It may be 1876-1877 famine which took over five million lives or it may be the dangerous 1899 famine.
EL-NINO related droughts has been shown are large decline in Indian Agriculture . The ENSO( EL-NINO-SOUTHERN -OSCILLATION ) events has similarity with high see surface temperature in Indian Ocean . In instead of the usual high pressure air mass over the Southern India Ocean and ENFO related oceanic low pressure convergence center formed . Then , it continually pulls dry air from Central Asia, desiccating India during what should have been the humid summer monsoon season. This reverse air flow result India's droughts .
The most significant droughts in India since 1871 has been correlating with EL-NINO drought . 1997 -1998 was a strong EL-NINO years but this not cause drought. On the other part of the coil , a horrendous EL-NINO in 2002 resulted in one of the worse drought's in India .
According the historical data of the previous decade , about 90 percent of all evolving EL-NINO years has lead to below normal rain fall . But its importantly notable that EL-NINO years do affects the weather in India in terms of monsoon rain . During this period of EL-NINO gain , India's rain fall is generally below normal with has it affect on crop production .
India has been facing many problems in developing it growths . And to add insult to injury is EL-NINO . EL-NINO years directly impact on India's agrarian economy and making the production of summer crops such as rice , sugarcane and oil seeds lower . India is a second largest producer of rice and wheat but due to the EL-NINO effects India can not produce enough .
In 2002 – and EL-NINO years average rain fall dropped 20% below normal rate and food grains production dropped very low . This leads directly in to inflation . Then , lower Agricultural production results lower GDP growths too . Due to meager production of food grains and crops , farmer do not get enough money and overall the rural income may also moderate . In Urban area , the industry which has exposer to Agriculture and Infrastructure segments would get directly impacted .
Apart from all these problems we should find a solution. Regional weather formation play very important role in mitigating the severity of EL-NINO . We need to improve our research on regional weather systems . The state and central Govt. should be cooperative with each other during this vital period . They should follow the guidance and advice from Agricultural University . An alternative plan of storing rain water should also be taken . In India , where 18% OF GDP come from agricultural side , we should always try to find a way to get emancipation from the ogre named EL-NINO .
-Tapasya Ghosh
