GHOGRAPAR, March 18

NITIN PATH.
PUNE, MARCH 15

THE untimely showers on Friday that brought a breather from the soaring mercury has given rise to fears in Konkan region, including Ratnagiri district which is home to the famous Alphonso variety, that the rain may harm the mango crop.

The other day, our editions in Tamil Nadu carried a small item of news from the northern district of Vellore, on the pleasure of water-rig operators at the profitable season ahead. The Celsius level has suddenly shot up there, the maximum touching almost 40 degrees already, and the water level, it appears, has sunk to below 800 ft in much of the district.

The impact of dry spells in some parts of northern Karnataka and excess rainfall in Malnad region during the sowing season has taken its toll. Food grain production in the state is likely to fall short by a whopping 16.48 lakh tonnes from the set target of 125.25 lakh tonnes set for the fiscal 2008-09.

Chicago: Global warming could delay the start of the summer monsoon by five to 15 days within the next century and significantly reduce rainfall in much of south Asia including India, a recent study has found.

India