Caught napping, again
The retreating monsoon is leaving a trail of death and destruction across much of India. Floods have submerged three states in misery, while a severe drought has left two others high and dry. The toll: around 10 million people affected in the past month alone. The Union and state governments have responded to the crises predictably. They are all at sea.
Floods have claimed more than 400 lives in Orissa, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Another seven million people have lost their homes and crops in the three states. Simultaneously, a drought-induced debt trap has forced about 200 farmers in Karnataka to commit suicide. Jharkhand, too, is reeling under a dry spell. The Union home ministry's disaster management department