Make optimal plan for the procurement of land

Land procurement refers to the process by which the private land is acquired for the purpose of industrialization or expansion of infrastructural amenities by providing compensation to the landowners. Procurement of land for different projects should proceed with minimal socio-economic and environmental impact on the local communities. Environmental impacts of land acquisition need to...

Deficit irrigation: It’s time to shift focus from agriculture productivity to water productivity

Accounting for about 70 percent of freshwater withdrawal, irrigation is probably the largest use of water globally. Unlike other uses, only half of the water used for irrigation is reusable. The remaining is lost by evaporation, evapotranspiration, or is lost in transit, by a leaking pipe. With an increasingly scarce water supply, irrigation management...

Satellites can help in saving the vanishing water

An aquifer is a water-bearing stratum that releases water in appreciable amounts. Wells are usually drilled into aquifers to fetch water. Aquifers are one of the most important sources of freshwater. Abstraction of groundwater through excessive pumping at a rate faster than it’s recharging rate will result in the overexploitation or persistent depletion of...

Can degrading land be reclaimed?

Land degradation is the temporary or permanent loss of ecosystem function and productivity from which the land cannot recover unaided (Bai et al.,2008). Degradation occurs slowly and cumulatively and can exacerbate climate change and threaten agricultural productivity, water quality, among other effects. In India, it is officially estimated that about 44 % of the...

Agriculture risk estimation: An aid for farmers who are risking life and limb for the food security of the nation

Agricultural production is subjected to many uncertainties. Hazards and unforeseen extreme climatic events increase the risk of agriculture production. Many risks directly affect farmers’ production decisions and welfare. Being an agrarian country, 48.9% of the Indian population directly or indirectly depends on agriculture (Economic Survey 2014-15). A total of 12,602 farming sector persons (8,007...