3.8 magnitude quake startles western New York; region's strongest quake in 40 years

New Delhi, Mar 18: Food supply in India and across the globe will go down by at least 6 per cent by 2050 as water crisis and heat stress caused by climate change will hit productivity, the Global Commission on Economics of Water (GCEW) has warned.

The commission is convened by the Government of the Netherlands and facilitated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Its latest report used a large dimensional computable general equilibrium model to project impacts on global irrigated food production and food security.

Food supply decreases were projected for two climate change scenarios or representative concentration pathways (RCP) based on the intensity of the greenhouse gas emissions. The optimistic RCP 4.5 based on drastic cut in emissions and RCP 8.5 the worst-case scenario. The model used 2014 as base year.

"Even under the best-case climate change scenario of RCP4.5, most African countries experience an increase in people with severe food insecurity by more than one third," the report 'The What, Why and How of the World Water Crisis' said.

The "best case" scenario for India meant a 6.52 per cent fall in food supply while it was 16.1 per cent in the worst case scenario. In China, it was 8.97 per cent and 22.4 per cent, respectively while the fall in the US was pegged at 4.8 per cent and 12.6 per cent.

Food insecurity affects 72-81 crore people globally and is linked to water insecurity. The fall in production, the study said, will push 100 crore people into severe food insecurity, the report said.

In another report titled 'Turning the Tide', the GCEW issued a seven-point agenda for collective action: managing global water cycle with just and equity, adopt outcomes-focussed approach to water conservation, cease underpricing water, phase out subsidies in agriculture and water, establishing just water partnerships, fortifying freshwater storage systems and reshape the multilateral governance of water. 

Bengaluru, Mar 22: The Congress' first list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election will be released in a day or two, party state president D K Shivakumar said on Wednesday.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief said initially the plan was to release the list on Wednesday but it has been pushed back to a later date.

"Today, we had thought of releasing the list of candidates. Our general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala is here and our national president Mallikarjun Kharge has come here for celebrating Ugadi festival. It will be released in a day or two," Shivakumar told reporters here.

According to Congress sources, the first list comprising about 120 candidates may be out on Thursday afternoon.

The sources added that the first list will consist of sitting MLAs and those constituencies where there is less opposition to the candidates among the party workers and also stand a good chance to win the election. 

Two persons have died of influenza caused by the H3N2 virus, Union Health Ministry sources said on Friday, March 10. One person has died in Haryana and the other, in Karnataka, according to top sources.

There are around 90 cases of the H3N2 virus in the country. Eight cases of the H1N1 virus have also been reported.

Cases of flu have been rising in the country. Most of the infections are caused by the H3N2 virus, also known as the "Hong Kong flu". Only H3N2 and H1N1 infections have been detected in India so far.

The symptoms include fever, chills, cough, breathlessness and wheezing.

Patients have also reported nausea, sore throat, body-ache and diarrhoea. Symptoms persist for about a week.