Better climate and more harvest is all that this farmer prays for - The Indian Express
Better climate and more harvest is all that this farmer prays for | Pune News - The Indian Express
Sanjay Dhongde, a 45-year-old farmer in Patnur village in Nanded’s Ardhrapur taluka, has faced crop losses for two consecutive years due to climate change and is in a debt of a whopping Rs 6 lakh. The lack of compensation from the government has only made matters worse for this father of three girls.
With climate change eating into his harvest and hard work, Dhongde only wishes that there’s no adverse climatic events in 2024.
“I have lost faith in the system. All we get in the name of compensation are empty promises. My only wish is that we don’t face any have adverse weather events such as hailstorm or unseasonal rains,” he said
Dhondge grows banana over two acres and soyabean over the remaining one acre of his total three-acre holding. This year, hailstorm struck his area when the soyabean crop was ready for harvest. Last year, the same thing repeated with his banana crop.
“As of today, I have around Rs 6 lakhs of loan from banks and private lenders. With three girls who are studying, managing finances is really tough. Any one else in my place would have died by suicide due to the repeated losses,” he said
Dhondge’s loss of faith on government mechanism stems from the fact that he has not received a single penny in compensation, despite insuring his crops. “The whole process is managed in such a manner that only a few handful get the benefits. For commoners, there is no guarantee,” he said.
Agriculture being his only source of income, Dhondge said he now has only nature to fall back on. “Farmers like me have only one wish, that we don’t have to face unseasonal rains or hailstorm next year. We have no support systems or alternate source of income. Hope we do not have to face the vagaries of nature next year,” he said
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”