Lok Sabha Question No. 6 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Impact of Global Warming and Climate Change
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Rajeev Rai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

## Impact of Global Warming and Climate Change

## 6. SHRI RAJEEV RAI:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  major  steps  towards  mitigation  of  adverse impact of global warming and climate change with respect to farmers of northern plains in the country, especially in the flood affected areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh during the last five years and the current year; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) and (b) The Government of India stands committed to combating climate change and has launched many schemes and programs to scale up India's action on both, the adaptation and mitigation. Appropriate measures are being taken under these schemes and programs across many sectors including water, agriculture, forest, energy and enterprise, sustainability mobility and housing, waste management, circular economy, and resource efficiency, etc.

The Government is implementing the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which  comprises  missions  in  specific  areas  of  solar  energy,  energy  efficiency,  water, agriculture,  Himalayan  eco-system,  sustainable  habitat,  green  India,  human  health,  and strategic  knowledge  on  climate  change.  The  respective  nodal  Ministries  implement  these, Missions. One of the Missions, the National Mission for  Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), aims to make the agriculture sector more resilient to the changing climate.

Considering the challenge posed by climate change in agriculture, several schemes have been initiated  under  NMSA  to  deal  with  the  adverse  climatic  situations.  Per  Drop  More  Crop (PDMC) scheme was launched during 2015-16 to increase water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies i.e. drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. Rainfed Area  Development  (RAD)  scheme  implemented  from  2014-15  in  the  country  focuses  on Integrated Farming System for enhancing productivity and minimizing risks associated with climatic variability. The Soil Health Card (SHC) / Soil Health Management (SHM) scheme is operational  through  the State  Governments  under National Project  on  Management of  Soil Health & Fertility. The main objective of the scheme is to assist States in promoting Integrated Nutrient Management through judicious use of chemical fertilizers including secondary and micronutrients in conjunction with organic manures & bio-fertilizers for improving soil health and its productivity. Soil Health Card provides information to farmers on soil nutrient status of their soil and recommendation on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.

The Government of India has supported preparation of State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC) in  the  States  and  Union  Territories  including  the  State  of  Uttar  Pradesh  (UP)  to address state specific issues relevant to the climate change. The SAPCC for the State of UP has identified  five  strategies  to  deal  with  impacts  of  climate  change  in  Agriculture  and  Allied Sector.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has established a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi under National Mission for Strategic Knowledge on  Climate  Change  (NMSKCC),  which is mandated  to  provide  climate  services  to  society through Early Warning System.  This DST-CoE issues need-based heat and cold wave, and heavy rainfall warnings. Additionally, it also issues location and crop-specific weather-based advisories for the  benefit of  the farming community of Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with India  Meteorological  Department, Indian  Space Research  Organisation and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Different media platforms like print/ visual/SMS/ Radio/ITbased media and Interactive Voice Response Service are being used for these advisories which facilitate large number of farmers for appropriate field-level actions.

The  Government  is  also  implementing  a  network  project,  namely  National  Innovations  in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), which aims to study the impact of climate change on agriculture, including crops, and promote climate resilient technologies to cope with weather extremes.  In  Uttar  Pradesh,  one  village  cluster  from  each  of  17  vulnerable  districts viz., Baghpat, Bahraich, Banda, Basti, Chitrakoot, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Hamirpur, Jalaun,  Jhansi, Kanpur (Dehat), Kaushambi, Kushi Nagar, Maharajganj, Pratapgarh, Sant Ravidas Nagar and Sonbhadra were selected for technology adoption through NICRA.

In addition, the Government is promoting organic farming in the country since 2015-16 through the schemes of Paramparagat KrishiVikasYojana (PKVY). The yojana also aims to promote traditional  indigenous  practices  and  to  create  awareness  of  farmers.  Mission  for  Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Agroforestry & National Bamboo Mission also aim to increase  climate  resilience  in  agriculture.    The  Risk  and  vulnerability  assessment  was performed for predominantly agriculture districts. A total of 109 districts are categorized as very high and 201 districts as highly vulnerable.

Promising climate resilient technologies have been demonstrated to the farmers, which can be upscaled  in  convergence  with  various  developmental  programs  in  the  State.  Some  of  the climate resilient technologies such as system of rice intensification, aerobic rice, direct seeding of  rice,  zero  till  wheat  sowing,  cultivation  of  climate  resilient  varieties  tolerant  to  extreme weather  conditions;  micro  irrigation  systems;  laser  land  levelling;  improved  shelter  for livestock  to  minimize  heat  stress;  integrated  farming  systems  including  poultry;  have  been developed  and  demonstrated  to  large  number  of  farmers.  Capacity  building  programs  to farmers on climate resilient agriculture in these districts were also undertaken.

The Government is committed to supplements efforts of States by providing technical guidance and promotional financial assistance for management of floods in critical areas.

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