India threatened by changes to the monsoon: Greenpeace

October 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh Wednesday slammed Greenpeace, a voluntary organisation, for spreading "wrong information" about the commercialisation of genetically modified Bt brinjal. Opposing the introduction of Bt brinjal in India, Greenpeace has said India is the centre of origin and diversity of brinjal and if Bt brinjal is approved, this would be the first time in the world that a genetically modified crop is allowed in its centre of origin/diversity, risking bio-diversity.

October 12th, 2009 LONDON - An Indian green campaigner was perched on the roof of the British parliament along with other activists for the second day Monday in a protest against Western climate change policies. Brikesh Singh of Greenpeace India spent a very cold night Sunday along with 32 activists atop the Palaces of Westminster, a Greenpeace spokesman said.

September 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's monsoon deficit has increased to 22 percent this year and the southwest monsoon has started withdrawing from the northern region, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Friday. "The cumulative seasonal rainfall for the country as a whole is now 22 percent below the Long Period Average (LPA)," a release from the IMD said.

September 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Over 24,000 people have asked big manufacturers of processed foods in India, including Nestle, Britannia and Hindustan Unilever, not to use genetically modified (GM) foods after Greenpeace put up a list of companies that could be using GM products. The NGO put up a list on the internet 11 days ago mentioning firms that did or did not say they used such foods.

September 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India has recorded a monsoon deficit of 21 percent this year and the southwest monsoon is likely to withdraw from the northern region in the next few days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Friday. The cumulative seasonal rainfall for the country as a whole is now 21 percent below the average, the Met Department said in a release.

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today warned that, North India facing drought-like situation, and states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi might face serious problems due to scarcity of rains. Pawar, however, said the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared two contingency plans to face the situation arising from the failure of monsoon.

July 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Rain gods don't seem to be smiling on the national capital this year as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Tuesday predicted a weak monsoon in Delhi and surrounding areas. According to IMD, northwest India comprising Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh is likely to receive very little rainfall.

June 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Dust storms and drizzle in Delhi and other parts of north India Sunday afternoon that brought some relief from sweltering heat signal an advancing southwest monsoon, according to met officials. "Dust storms and mild thundershowers like what Delhi experienced today are precursors to the advancing monsoon, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Ajit Tyagi told IANS.

June 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi and its neighbouring states can expect some respite from the sweltering heat with a Met official Saturday predicting pre-monsoon showers in the region by month-end. "Northern India including Delhi is likely to witness pre-monsoon showers by June-end or the start of July.

June 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The southwest monsoon Friday moved further into central India, bringing heavy rain in many parts of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, an India Meteorological Department official said. "The monsoon has progressed into Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa causing heavy rainfall at some places," the official said.

June 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - There was no progress in southwest monsoon in the country Thursday and the rain-bearing clouds continue to be over southern Gujarat and parts of Maharashtra, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said here. "There is no progress in the southwest monsoon and it is over central Arabian Sea, south Gujarat and some parts of Maharashtra," IMD director B.P Yadav told IANS.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Rain gods don't seem to be smiling on the national capital this monsoon as Delhi is likely to receive much less rainfall than the national average, a forecast released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Wednesday. "Current observations and forecasts suggest that monsoon will advance over most parts of the country except northwest India by June end.

June 18th, 2009 Greenpeace spoofs Int'l Herald Trib; IHT objectsBRUSSELS — Greenpeace published a spoof edition of the International Herald Tribune on Thursday to highlight environmental issues and draw attention to the Copenhagen climate change conference in December. The Paris-based International Herald Tribune, global edition of the New York Times, complained and, as the spoof also appeared on the Internet, said it had asked the environmental group immediately to remove any fake IHT Web pages.

May 23rd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Saturday said that conditions were favourable for the onset of monsoon in Kerala by Sunday. The IMD said on its website that the conditions were also favourable for further advance of the monsoon into some parts of south Arabian Sea, some parts of extreme south peninsula, parts of south Bay of Bengal and some more parts of central Bay of Bengal during the same period.

May 23rd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The The eagerly awaited southwest monsoon hit Kerala Saturday, a week ahead of its normal date, bringing cheer to farmers in the state. The onset of the monsoon was confirmed after widespread rainfall over south Kerala for the last four days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.