A Parliamentary Committee on agriculture has asked the Government to ready a contingency plan for tackling the ill-effects of drought, flood and climate change on farming.
"The Committee finds it disconcerting to note the department's (of agricultural research and education) silence on the crucial aspect of having a 'compensatory production programme' in the country," the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture said in its tenth report, presented in Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon session.
It added that "keeping in view the multiplicity of agro-climatic zones in the country and the fact that natural calamities like drought and floods affect parts of the nation every year, a Compensatory Production Programme, is required for tackling the adverse effects of global warming and climate change".
The committee has also asked the Government "to inform it of its views on forming such a programme, within one month of presentation of the report in Parliament".
India faced the worst drought in recent memory last year, and the country's paddy production suffered badly as a result.
Describing climate change "as a current and living reality", the committee observed that Centre as well as state governments "have not learnt their lessons from recent year's floods, droughts, and high temperatures due to climate change".
It added that neither tsunami-affected nor those affected by the recent Kosi river flood (in Bihar), have been rehabilitated.
"Therefore it is recommended that Agriculture Ministry and all other departments concerned, should make coordinated efforts to find solutions to the natural calamities, for ultimate welfare of the homo-environ systems of the country," the panel has recommended.
Keeping in view the fact that climate change is required to be tackled expeditiously, the report suggested that agriculture ministry should make the Institute of Abiotic Stress Management at Baramati fully functional without any further delay.
The report also observed that the government's awareness campaign on global warming was insufficient.