Gujarat ready with contingency plan if rains elude

September 2nd, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - Around 15 percent of Gujarat's standing crops have been destroyed because of deficient rains between July 27 and Aug 29, an agriculture department official said. Eleven districts in central and north Gujarat received 40 percent less rainfall for a little over a month after July 27.

August 20th, 2009 HYDERABAD - Heavy rains lashed this Andhra Pradesh capital Thursday, inundating low-lying areas and throwing normal life out of gear. The rains, which began in the early hours, caused severe inconvenience to people living in low-lying areas and to commuters.

August 18th, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - The government should take up the project to link up major rivers across the country, as proposed during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule, to tackle the spectre of drought, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In a letter to the prime minister, Modi said the Gujarat government would need central funds for linking the Tapti and Damanganga rivers besides other small rivers in the state.

August 2nd, 2009 HYDERABAD - Facing the spectre of first drought in six years, the Andhra Pradesh government is gearing up to tackle the situation and plans to come out with a contingency plan within a week. Admitting that the situation is "serious" in some districts, Finance Minister K.

July 17th, 2009 JUNAGADH - Over 850 families in the flood-ravaged parts of Saurashtra region of Gujarat were shifted to safer places Friday as torrential rains continued to play havoc, officials said. Junagadh district administration officials have urged the army to be on standby as the flood situation threatened to worsen.

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Admitting that the delayed monsoon was a real and serious problem in north India, the government Friday hoped the situation will definitely improve. It is true that the whole country is worried about monsoon recession as on today, particularly Vidarbha, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said during question hour in the Rajya Sabha.

July 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhiites can expect a warm and humid day Sunday as rains are likely to elude the capital yet again, the weatherman said. There will be mainly clear skies but it is possible that it could get cloudy towards the evening, an official at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

June 29th, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - With the monsoon delayed by nearly a fortnight, farmers in the central and northern regions of Gujarat have delayed sowing of cotton and groundnut crops. "There is hardly any pre-monsoon activity in the central and northern regions, particularly in Mehsana and Ahmedabad districts, where sowing for cotton and groundnut could have started a fortnight earlier," said an agriculture department official.

June 24th, 2009 HYDERABAD - The delay in rains that prompted rituals to appease the gods across temples in Andhra Pradesh Wednesday has hit paddy sowing but agriculturists are hopeful that the situation would improve in the coming days. The sowing operations in the fertile Godavari delta, known as the rice bowl of the state, have been hit by the delay in rains.

June 23rd, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - Amid worries of a delayed monsoon, large parts of Gujarat have received pre-monsoon showers in the 24 hours to Tuesday afternoon, an official said here. A total of 56 sub-districts in 17 districts have witnessed pre-monsoon activity with rains ranging from 3 mm to 10 cm being received during the period, the agriculture department official said.

May 29th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Gujarat has prepared a Rs.3,000-crore plan to upgrade the infrastructure of its old industrial estates within the next three years, a minister said Friday. "The government would upgrade infrastructure of all the old industrial estates of Gujarat Industrial Development Corp (GIDC) under its 'critical infrastructure plan'," Minister for Energy and Petrochemicals Saurabh Patel said at a function in Moriya, about 25 km from here.

May 5th, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team probing the 2002 communal violence in Gujarat will have its 'witness protection plan' in place within two days, SIT chief R.K. Raghavan said here Tuesday.

January 14th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himalaya International Ltd (HIL), a Himachal Pradesh-based frozen food manufacturer, will invest Rs.1.4 billion (Rs.140 crore) to set up an export-oriented unit in Gujarat, a company official said Thursday. 'We will invest Rs.140 crore for establishing an export-oriented agro-food processing facility in Gujarat.

January 6th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - The Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit-2009, begining Jan 12, will focus on the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, and generate more employment, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said here Tuesday. 'The global economic crisis is an opportunity for Gujarat to plan and march ahead.

December 29th, 2008 NAVASARI - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday asked people of the state to resolve to build a 'Golden Gujarat'. 'The entire country is looking at us and at our development.