MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a): The State Government is primarily responsible for providing necessary relief measures in the wake of natural calamities. For undertaking relief measures, funds are available with the State Government in the form of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of severe nature and is approved on the basis of Memorandum received from the State Government, in accordance with established procedures. The estimation in regard to damage to crops, including the quantum of crops damaged and the revenue lost etc. is done by the concerned State Governments.
(b) & (c): The Government of India is implementing National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which provides an overarching policy framework for climate actions in the country
with eight Missions. To support the objectives of NAPCC, 33 States and Union Territories have already prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) to address State specific actions. In addition, the Government has also established the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) to support climate adaptation actions of States and Union Territories in the country.
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The National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), anchored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, focuses on the agriculture sector with the objectives of resource conservation, restoration of soil fertility and productivity. The focus is on integrated farming, water use efficiency and soil health management, especially in rainfed agriculture areas.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has conducted climate change impact analysis, including changing monsoon pattern under National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project. Variable impact of climate change has been projected on production of certain crops like rice, wheat, maize, groundnut, chickpea and potato
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed and released 158 drought tolerant varieties /hybrids of different crops. ICAR has also developed and released 41 water logging tolerant varieties/hybrids of different crops for commercial cultivation during 2014-21.
(d) & (e): To provide financial support and claims against the crop yield losses due to natural risks/calamities, adverse weather conditions, pests & diseases etc., crop insurance schemes namely, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) are being implemented by the Government. PMFBY provides comprehensive risk coverage from pre-sowing to post harvest losses against non-preventable natural risks. The RWBCIS provides indemnification for likely crop losses due to deviation in weather indices. Further, to provide adequate risk coverage, the sum insured has been equated to Scale of Finance and minimum uniform fixed premium rate payable by farmers i.e. maximum 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi Crop and 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops, with balance of actuarial/bidded premium being shared by the Central and State Government on 50 : 50 basis; lowering of unit area of insurance to village/village panchayat level for major crops and to individual farm level for localized risks of hailstorm, landslide, inundation, cloud burst & natural fire and post-harvest losses thereby promoting more realistic assessment of losses.
RWBCIS is generally applicable to commercial horticultural crops providing insurance protection/ compensation to the farmers against adverse weather incidence, such as deficit or excess rainfall, high or low temperature (including heat wave, cold wave, frost), humidity etc. which are deemed to adversely impact the crop. Additional insurance coverage for hailstorm and cloud burst for horticultural crops has been provided as add-on/Index plus under WBCIS. Similarly, under Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS), deviation from the prescribed weather parameters is paid under the scheme.
Both the schemes are voluntary for States and farmers. All the farmers growing the crops/areas notified by the concerned State Government are eligible for coverage by paying their share of premium and get claims on loss of crop as per provisions of the respective schemes.
(f): Advisories are issued to all States/Union Territories before the onset of Monsoon season for reviewing the States’ preparedness in managing any weather related contingency for mitigating the adverse impacts of an aberrant monsoon. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) provides training to the farmers on effective flood management in flood plains and flood-prone ecologies of India.
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