Agriculture Ministry and NIDM Jointly Organize Brainstorming Workshop to revise the Drought Manual 2020 and framing of guidelines for Pest Attack, Cold wave /Frost and Hailstorm
Agriculture Ministry and NIDM Jointly Organize Brainstorming Workshop to revise the Drought Manual 2020 and framing of guidelines for Pest Attack, Cold wave /Frost and Hailstorm
Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare in collaboration with the National Institute of Disaster Management, hosted a crucial stakeholder workshop at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi to invite ideas, suggestions of various stakeholders to better handle the natural calamities – particularly, drought, Pest attack, cold Wave/ Frost and Hailstorms.
DA&FW is mandated to coordinate the natural calamities viz. Drought, Hailstorms, Pest Attack and Cold Waves for Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Keeping in view the need to be abreast with latest development in disaster preparedness, request from several state Govts, DA&FW had entrusted NIDM with the job to revise the Drought Manual 2020 and framing of guidelines for Pest Attack, Cold wave /Frost and Hailstorm. NIDM was consulted for revising the Drought Manual 2020 last time. They were technical knowledge partners for anchoring the revision of Drought Manual.
The event brought together policymakers, leading scientists, and field experts from IMD, PPQS, DARE, CRIDA, MNCFC, NHB, NRAA, CAZRI, as well as representatives from various states across the country to address the growing threat of climate-induced hazards to India’s agricultural sector.
Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, DA&FW in his address stressed on Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Awareness and Rehabilitation and Reconstruction activities, he also reiterated the Government’s commitment to building a resilient agricultural sector and affirmed that the recommendations would be integrated into a new, comprehensive framework. The workshop featured four dedicated technical sessions, chaired by eminent experts, which resulted in significant recommendations.
The first session focused on updating the Drought Manual 2020, with recommendations including incorporating new technologies like remote sensing and AI-based models for more accurate drought monitoring.
The second session on pest attacks addressed the rising threat of pest outbreaks and recommended establishing a national surveillance and early warning system to provide farmers with real-time advisories.
Third session on cold wave guidelines led to recommendations for strengthening state-level action plans and promoting the use of cold-tolerant crop varieties.
The last session on hailstorm guidelines, focused on promoting impact-based forecasts and enhancing insurance coverage for farmers in vulnerable regions.
The Workshop successfully laid the foundation for a more integrated and proactive approach to managing agricultural risks, ensuring that India’s farming community is better prepared for the challenges of a changing climate.
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