India, which relies heavily on the monsoon rains for its vital agriculture sector, may suffer “frequent and severe” failures in its monsoon system due to global warming in next 200 years, a new res

The Indian monsoon is likely to fail more often in the next 200 years threatening food supplies, unless governments agree how to limit climate change, a study showed on Tuesday.

The monsoon is likely to fail more often in the next 200 years threatening food supplies, unless governments agree how to limit climate change, a study showed on Tuesday.

The monsoon rains could collapse about every fifth year between 2150 and 2200 with continued global warming, blamed mainly on human burning of fossil fuels, and related shifts in tropical air flows, it said.

Delhiites will have to settle for a smog-ridden Diwali this year. The thick haze that has settled over the city is not expected to dissipate in the coming week. Dr L.S. Rathore, director general of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), said, “A low density dust-ridden fog has spread its tentacles across the city. A combination of cyclone Nilam pumping moisture into the atmosphere, falling temperature and the presence of pollutants has created this smog cover.”

“With no horizontal or vertical mechanism like long strong winds to blow it away, we expect it to hover over the city for the next 5-6 days,” Mr Rathore explained. Doctors warn that Delhites are choking on Delhi’s air much before Diwali.

The heavy smog that has set in earlier than usual and enveloped the Capital like a huge cloak for over a week has triggered a rash of respiratory tract infections and other health problems.

BHUBANESWAR: The South West Monsoon withdrew from most parts of Odisha on Monday signalling the end of rainy season which recorded a rare zero percent deviation this year.

Microzonation, on a scale of 1:10,000, is being carried out to formulate building codes specific to areas in the city.

Jaisalmer: Rajasthan’s desert region has gone from grey to green in little more than a month.

Heavy rainfall leading to flash floods in Himalayan rivers in July-end devastated three states — Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. It claimed 34 human lives and damaged property extensively. It also brought into focus the precarious condition of more than a dozen dams in the region.

Within just one week, starting August 1, these states received about half the rainfall they receive over an entire year—Uttarakhand received 44.6 per cent of its annual rainfall; Himachal 51.8 per cent and Jammu and Kashmir 55.6 per cent. Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal region was the worst hit. The Bhagirathi, flowing much above the danger mark, washed away houses, hotels, roads and bridges. Nineteen labourers working on the Assi Ganga hydropower project in Uttarkashi were swept away by the river which they were trying to harness.

Prediction Pangs: In August, the weatherman said it would be a poor show on the rain front in September due to the El Nino effect