SAVING WATER
   Date :26-Jun-2019

 
 
THE grave water crisis many parts of India are facing this season has forced policy planners and social thinkers to opt for alternative means and methods to cut down usage of water. Eminent scientist and former Chairman of ISRO, Mr. K Kasturirangan has called for promotion of dryland and short-term agriculture crops that can bring water usage down by almost 20 per cent. At present, agriculture sector accounts for 80 per cent of all water usage. Mr. Kasturirangan has suggested taking dry farming crops like bajra and ragi instead of traditional crops like rice. While it is a welcome suggestion and can help in tiding over the water crisis, the fact remains that India’s farming sector is heavily dependent upon traditional crops. The reason being, a set practice followed over decades and proper channels that ensure the last yield reaching the buyer. Breaking this mould will need a massive exercise which demands the administration to be on the forefront with live experimentation in every block. It all depends upon honest desire and policy framework.
 
THE ‘CHOKERS’
 
IT HAPPENS every four years. And nobody has a logical answer to South Africa’s peculiar problem. They just wither away after raising expectations. Despite the genius at work in South Africa’s cricket team, somehow the ‘chokers’ tag refuses to go away. Former Protean players are clueless about the big-stage fear their team develops every World Cup. They, too, had been through the terrible times in their playing days. It happened again in the ongoing World Cup in England. After the heartbreaking semi-final loss in the last edition, South Africa were supposed to tide over the mental barrier and emerge as a title contender in 2019. The way their campaign has panned out is pathetic to say the least. Captain Faf du Plessis has termed the loss against Pakistan as “borderline embarrassing”. The fact is, South Africa’s entire show in England has been downright embarrassing. The problem is not with skills but it is a mental issue. Fear of top events like the World Cup is pretty evident in the team’s body language. They remain an enigma for the cricketing world.