Articles by S Rajendran

Finally realising the economic and environmental benefits of small waterbodies, the Tamil Nadu government has revived kudimaramathu, the centuries-old practice of building and maintaining ponds and tanks with community involvement. This article recounts the history of the practice, its marginalisation in colonial times, and the politics that drives its revival today. The scheme will be successful and sustainable only if local farmers and stakeholders are empowered to select, maintain and repair these waterbodies.

Sustained and focused efforts have to be made by the Tamil Nadu state government to provide relief and rehabilitation to the drought affected people of the state.

As the construction sector grows, illegal sand and granite mining can only be expected to increase. From what can be seen until now, honest offi cers who have taken action against the sand mafi a in their respective districts in different states have either been transferred or suspended. The politician-sand mafi a nexus must be broken in order to protect the environment and prevent huge revenue loss.

Coconut farming is an important economic activity in the state, which is one of the three major regions producing the crop. The government needs to tailor its policy on neera tapping carefully keeping in mind the nature of the crop, the constant threat that farmers face from diseases and the existing wide market for neera.

Karnataka is reeling under its worst drought in 10 years in the wake of the failure of the south-west monsoon. The symptoms were visible two months ago, but the state machinery is only now gearing up to tackle the situation, even as incidents of crop loss, cattle deaths, and mass migration of labour come to the fore. The state has sought financial assistance from the centre, but the question is how efficiently the money is spent and whether it reaches the needy. Ultimately, however, only long-term measures, such as rejuvenating the natural resource base, will help to tackle the scourge of drought.