Lok Sabha Question No. 1959 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-13
Subject: Effects of Climate Change on Crops
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Deepak (Dev) Adhikari, Khan Saumitra, Ravi Kishan Shukla

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1959

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2023

## Effects of Climate Change on Crops

## 1959. SHRI ADHIKARI DEEPAK (DEV): SHRI SAUMITRA KHAN: SHRI RAVI KISHAN:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  conducted  any  study  to  assess  the  adverse  effects  of  climate change on food crops after 2019;

(b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  reports  suggesting  that  farmers  are  experiencing huge losses in their  produce and  income  due  to  crop  failures  caused  by  climate  change  in West Bengal and if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  towards  mitigating  drought-related  crop failure in West Bengal;

(d)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  reduce  the  dependence  on  monsoon  and  to compensate the losses of crop damage due to natural calamities during the last four years and the current year;

(e)  the  details  of  funds  allocated  to  Uttar  Pradesh  and  Bihar  under  Disaster  Relief  Fund during the said period, year-wise; and

(f)  whether  the  Government prepared  any  short  term  and  long-term  action  plans  to  protect crops against the vagaries of nature?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)  The climate  change is  a global challenge  and  the Government of India is seized of the matter. The Government through its various Ministries and Departments continues to assess the  impacts  of  climate  change  taking  into  account  the  new  data  and  increased  scientific knowledge on the subject. Such data and analysis are routinely carried out in the regular work of  Ministries/Departments and  incorporated in further  schemes,  plans and initiatives of the Government as notified from time to time. Experts and scientists in academia and think tanks

also  consulted  from  time  to  time.  The  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR) undertakes risk and vulnerability assessment of Indian agriculture to climate change under its flagship network project 'National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)'.

(b)  to  (e):  The  State  Government  is  primarily  responsible  for  providing  necessary  relief measures in the wake of natural calamities. The Union Government supplements the efforts of  the  States  by  providing  technical  guidance  and  promotional  financial  assistance  for management of floods in critical areas. For undertaking relief measures, funds are available with the State Government in the form of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from National Disaster Response Fund  (NDRF)  for  natural  calamities  of  severe  nature  and  is  approved  on  the  basis  of Memorandum  received from the State Government, in accordance with established procedures.

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is concerned with providing relief under NDRF to farmers who have lost their crops due to drought, hailstorm, pest attack and cold wave/frost. The allocation and release of funds from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is mentioned below-

| Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2022-23 (As on 24.02.2023) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2022-23 (As on 24.02.2023) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2022-23 (As on 24.02.2023) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2022-23 (As on 24.02.2023) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2022-23 (As on 24.02.2023) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2022-23 (As on 24.02.2023) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2022-23 (As on 24.02.2023) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2022-23 (As on 24.02.2023) (Rs. in crore)   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No                                                                                                  | Name State                                                                                            | Allocation of SDRF                                                                                    | Allocation of SDRF                                                                                    | Allocation of SDRF                                                                                    | Releases from SDRF                                                                                    | Releases from SDRF                                                                                    | Releases from NDRF                                                                                    |
| S.No                                                                                                  | Name State                                                                                            | Central Share                                                                                         | State Share                                                                                           | Total                                                                                                 | 1 st Instalment                                                                                       | 2 nd Instalment                                                                                       | Releases from NDRF                                                                                    |
| 1                                                                                                     | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                         | 1624.00                                                                                               | 541.60                                                                                                | 2165.60                                                                                               | 812.00                                                                                                | --                                                                                                    | --                                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                                     | Bihar                                                                                                 | 1189.60                                                                                               | 396.80                                                                                                | 1586.40                                                                                               | 594.80                                                                                                | 594.80                                                                                                | --                                                                                                    |
| Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2021-22 (As on 31.03.2022) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2021-22 (As on 31.03.2022) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2021-22 (As on 31.03.2022) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2021-22 (As on 31.03.2022) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2021-22 (As on 31.03.2022) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2021-22 (As on 31.03.2022) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2021-22 (As on 31.03.2022) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2021-22 (As on 31.03.2022) (Rs. in crore)   |
| S.No                                                                                                  | Name State                                                                                            | Allocation of SDRF                                                                                    | Allocation of SDRF                                                                                    | Allocation of SDRF                                                                                    | Releases from SDRF                                                                                    | Releases from SDRF                                                                                    | Releases from NDRF                                                                                    |
| S.No                                                                                                  | Name State                                                                                            | Central Share                                                                                         | State Share                                                                                           | Total                                                                                                 | 1 st Instalment                                                                                       | 2 nd Instalment                                                                                       | Releases from NDRF                                                                                    |
| 1                                                                                                     | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                         | 1546.40                                                                                               | 516.00                                                                                                | 2062.40                                                                                               | 773.20                                                                                                | 773.20                                                                                                | --                                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                                     | Bihar                                                                                                 | 1132.80                                                                                               | 377.60                                                                                                | 1510.40                                                                                               | 566.40                                                                                                | 566.40                                                                                                | 1038.96                                                                                               |

| Allocation and release of funds from State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF)/SDRF and NDRF during 2020-21 (As on 31.03.2021) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF)/SDRF and NDRF during 2020-21 (As on 31.03.2021) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF)/SDRF and NDRF during 2020-21 (As on 31.03.2021) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF)/SDRF and NDRF during 2020-21 (As on 31.03.2021) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF)/SDRF and NDRF during 2020-21 (As on 31.03.2021) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF)/SDRF and NDRF during 2020-21 (As on 31.03.2021) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF)/SDRF and NDRF during 2020-21 (As on 31.03.2021) (Rs. in crore)   | Allocation and release of funds from State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF)/SDRF and NDRF during 2020-21 (As on 31.03.2021) (Rs. in crore)   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No                                                                                                                                              | Name of State                                                                                                                                     | Allocation of SDRF                                                                                                                                | Allocation of SDRF                                                                                                                                | Allocation of SDRF                                                                                                                                | Releases from SDRF                                                                                                                                | Releases from SDRF                                                                                                                                | Releases from NDRF                                                                                                                                |
| S.No                                                                                                                                              | Name of State                                                                                                                                     | Central Share                                                                                                                                     | State Share                                                                                                                                       | Total                                                                                                                                             | 1 st Instalment                                                                                                                                   | 2 nd Instalment                                                                                                                                   | Releases from NDRF                                                                                                                                |
| 1                                                                                                                                                 | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                     | 1933.00                                                                                                                                           | 645.00                                                                                                                                            | 2578.00                                                                                                                                           | 966.50                                                                                                                                            | 966.50                                                                                                                                            | --                                                                                                                                                |
| 2                                                                                                                                                 | Bihar                                                                                                                                             | 1416.00                                                                                                                                           | 472.00                                                                                                                                            | 1888.00                                                                                                                                           | 708.00                                                                                                                                            | 708.00                                                                                                                                            | 1255.27                                                                                                                                           |

(f)  The  Government  of  India  is  implementing  several  programmes  and  schemes  through relevant Ministries and States including the National Action Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC)  which  comprises  missions  in  specific  areas  of  solar  energy,  energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture,  Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, health,

green India, andstrategic knowledge for climate change.Thirty-four States /Union Territories (UTs)  have  prepared  and  some  have  updated  their  State  Action  Plans  on  Climate  Change (SAPCCs)  in  line  with  NAPCC  taking  into  account  the  State-specific  issues  relating  to climate  change.  These  SAPCCs  outline  sector-specific  and  cross-sectoral  priority  actions, including adaptation.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) is dedicated for monitoring, detection and forecasting of severe weather and climate including early warning for severe weather events such  as  cyclones,  heavy  rainfall,  heat  wave,  etc.  As  a  non-structural  measure  of  flood management, the Central Water Commission  issues flood forecasts. The IMD  in collaboration with ICAR and other institutions is rendering District/Block level Agrometeorological Advisory Services (AAS) for the benefits of farmers in the country under the  scheme  'Gramin  Krishi  Mausam  Sewa  (GKMS)'.  The  main  emphasis  of  the  existing AAS system is  to  collect  and  organize  climate/weather,  soil  and  crop  information,  and  to amalgamate them with weather forecast to assist farmers to take decisions on day-to-day farm operations, which can further optimize the application of input resources at farm level during deficient  rainfall  situation  and  extreme  weather  events  to  reduce  monetary  loss  and  to maximize crop yield. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing Per Drop More Crop scheme.  It  mainly  focuses  on  water  use  efficiency  at  farm  level  through Micro Irrigation (Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation System).

Rainfed  Area  Development  (RAD)  Programme  under  National  Mission  for  Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) focuses on Integrated Farming System (IFS) for enhancing productivity and minimizing risks associated with climatic variability. Under this system, crops/cropping system  is integrated with activities like horticulture, livestock, fishery, agro-forestry, apiculture  etc.  to  enable  farmers  not  only  in  maximizing  farm  returns  for  sustaining livelihood, but also to mitigate the impacts of drought, flood or other extreme weather events. A flagship scheme of the Government of India, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana aims to  provide  financial  support  to  farmers  suffering  crop  loss/damage  arising  out  of  natural calamities.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (ICAR - CRIDA) in association with other ICAR Institutes, State Agriculture Universities (SAUs) and Krishi Vigyan Kendra's (KVKs) have prepared district agricultural contingency plans  for  about  650  districts.  These  are  for  delayed  Monsoons  and  other  extreme  weather events. These contingency plans are hosted on the Websites of ICAR-CRIDA and Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

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