For sustainable farming

Apropos the article ‘Punjab’s crop diversification dilemma’ (July 14), it is a well known fact that the groundwater position in Punjab is highly precarious. Main reasons attributed to the depletion of groundwater is aggressive growing of water guzzling crops such as paddy and wheat by the farmers.

Farmers continue to grow paddy and wheat as these two crops are well supported by stable outside market conditions and the MSP they get from procuring agencies.

Considering the veracity of the situation, long back, the Johl Committee had recommended shifting of the crop practices by at least 20 per cent to other crops to prevent the groundwater depletion and improve the health of the soil.

However, crop diversifications need to be seen from the benefit of the farmers’ side too besides building a robust supply chain model for the new crop produce for its seamless flow benefitting both the consumers and the growers.

RV Baskaran

Chennai

Delhi inundated

This is with reference to the news report ‘Delhi under water as Yamuna breaches the danger mark’ (July 14). The heavy rains in Northern India have once again proved that our infrastructure is very poor.

How can we boast of being the fastest-growing economy if our infrastructure is so poor? Poor infrastructure will also deter foreign investors.

The political class ignores infrastructure development as most of the economic decisions are taken with an eye on elections. Hence crores of rupees are spent on subsidies and freebies instead of infrastructure development.

Reckless urbanization, age-old drainage system with hardly any improvement, cutting down of trees, and wrong urban planning are playing havoc. This is a wake-up call for the authorities to introspect and improve our infrastructure.

Veena Shenoy

Thane

Data protection dilemma

With reference to Editorial to ‘Partly protected’, it has been six years since the apex court reaffirmed privacy as a fundamental right for the citizens.

The government seems to have approved the draft for Digital Personal Data Protection, which is welcome news. With the growing digital transformation, the government should have been more flexible on transparency and legal protection to its citizens but that has not been the case and a significant amount of data has been stolen and misused. We can only hope that when it becomes a law it would protect each and every citizen comprehensively.

Bal Govind

Noida

Inflation worries

Rising food prices are pushing up retail inflation and analysts expect consumers to endure higher food inflation at least until September.

Retail food inflation was 4.49 per cent in June, up from 2.96 per cent in the previous month. In contrast, core inflation which measures the non-food non-fuel component of the CPI basket — was flat at 5.1 per cent in June. The increase in perishable food prices — led by spices, grains, vegetables and eggs — is largely seasonal and should moderate by the fourth quarter. But whether this will be enough for the RBI to hold rates at its next meeting remains to be seen.

If the rains continue to be erratic, swinging between heavy losses and a few days of heavy rain, it could wreak havoc with the sowing of the summer crop, causing further volatility in food prices.

MT Farooqi

Hyderaba