Harvest & Housing

I am from Bihar, in our state we mostly get Langra and Dussehri mangoes. My family said that this season the production is less because of changing weather conditions. Sometimes there is too much sunny weather and sometimes unexpected rain. This causes the quality of mangoes and taste. Mangoes in the market look good from outside, but from inside they are rotten. Because of high prices, many poor families buy fewer mangos only.

— Rohan Shinde · Boorakunte, Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban

Here in Karnataka, varieties like Badami and Raspuri are very popular. The taste of Raspuri mango this year is good, but there is not enough quantity of naturally ripened mangoes. Due to climate changes and water shortages, many farmers have suffered losses in mango business. This year mango prices are higher than last year, making it difficult for some families to buy regularly. Most people prefer naturally ripened mangoes because they taste better. Nowadays, the taste of mangoes is becoming worse, and prices are still rising.

— Rohan Shinde · Boorakunte, Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban

Due to living conditions

— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

In my native village in Maharashtra, the famous mango varieties are Kesar, Alphonso (Hapus), Rajapuri, and Pairi. This year, the quality is not as good as before because of irregular rain and high temperatures. Many mangoes fell before they were fully grown. Nowadays, traders are selling chemically ripened mangoes, which ruins the taste of mango. The prices in the market are high, but farmers are still not getting a fair share. Middlemen earn more than farmers. Good-quality Alphonso mangoes have become expensive for common and poor families like us, getting good quality, natural ripened Alphonso mangoes have become expensive.

— Rohan Shinde · Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka

climate change

— Jayprakash Nayak · Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Khordha, Odisha

Communities are increasingly mindful about the risks involved and low returns from nature based livelihood given the changes in climate.

— Aastha Mishra

I have been living in this area for more than twenty years, and I feel mango seasons have changed a lot. Earlier, the fruits used to arrive in large quantities and were very flavorful. Around Kuthambakkam, we usually see Banganapalli, Senthooram, and Malgova varieties. This year, the quality is mixed. Some mangoes are excellent, but many are smaller than usual. The extreme summer temperatures and irregular rainfall seem to have affected production. Prices are also higher than what we used to pay a few years ago. Mangoes are still available everywhere, but many people are buying less because of the cost.

— Sanjukta Chanda · Kuthambakkam, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu

In the present era, due to unseasonal weather, the yield of agricultural crops has decreased.

— Padmalochan Majhi · Ratachua, Rayagada, Odisha

In today's era, there is inflation, and the number of unemployed is high in rural areas.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

We live in Uttarakhand, but we live in the plain area of Uttarakhand. It's not that cold here. The effect of heat is quite significant, and the house we have is, well, a kachcha (raw/unpaved) house with a tin roof. The tin gets very hot. So, what happens is we have to face a lot of heat, and we don't even have resources. There's one fan, and even that gives very cold air. There's no cooler or AC.

— Anshika Saxena · Kichha, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand

I am Lakshmanarayanan. I am a weaver. Now, due to the gas shortage, cooking is very difficult. Now, we have to buy firewood from nearby to cook. They have also increased the price of firewood due to the shortage. So, it's very difficult now. Now, it's the rainy season. During the rainy season, from 5-6 PM, strong winds blow. It rains. So, cooking with firewood is a bit difficult. If there wasn't this gas shortage, we could manage a bit. Our weaving business is already going through some difficulties. Now, with this situation, life is becoming a bit harder.

— Divagar N · Parakkalur AD Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu

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— Debendra Suna

Response 1: Here in Kannur we mostly get Neelam and Moovandan varieties. This season the quality is just not good, they're ripening too quickly because of the heat and the taste is not there. I bought a dozen last week and half of them were overripe by the next day. Prices are also higher than usual this year.Response 2: Moovandan is the most common mango here and usually it's so good but this year it's disappointing. My neighbour has a mango tree in his compound and even those fell early this season. The ones in the market look okay from outside but inside they're fibrous. Feels like the heat just ruined the whole season.Response 3: We get Neelam and Chandrakaran mangoes in Kannur mostly. This year the season was very short by the time you got used to seeing them in the market they were gone. My mother says the trees are not flowering properly because the weather has been so unpredictable. Prices went up a lot too, almost double compared to two years back.

— Shalin Sanish · Kumbam, Kannur, Kerala

My cousin- college student"The mango quality this year has been uneven ", some batches of Himsagar were excellent and others were disappointing. But the issue I keep thinking about is how climate change is quietly affecting the mango season itself. The season feels shorter, the yields are inconsistent, and farmers are bearing the uncertainty. My message to our local elected representative would be this ", please advocate at the state level for agricultural support programs that help small mango farmers in Bengal adapt to changing weather patterns. Subsidised irrigation, crop insurance, better weather advisory systems ", these are things that require policy attention. We enjoy mangoes every summer without thinking about the farmer who grew them. It is time our representatives started thinking about that too."

— Yuvikaa Agarwal · South Dumdum, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

In our area, many families are troubled by rising fuel prices. The increased cost of gas cylinders has raised expenses for poor and middle-class people. Some have changed their cooking methods to save gas, while others are using wood or other cheaper alternatives. The rise in petrol and diesel prices has also increased fares for buses, autos, and freight transport. This is also affecting the prices of vegetables, groceries, and other essential items. People are now traveling only when necessary and trying to cut down on expenses. If the government provides some relief or controls prices, the common public would benefit greatly.

— Kumari Ankita · Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh

The LPG crisis has definitely affected us because we run a food business. So, we use a commercial cylinder and not a normal household cylinder, and the prices for the commercial cylinder has gone up more than the household one. So, we have to pay extra. We used to buy it in bulk but because the price has risen, we cannot buy so many of them and keep it with us. And to adjust the price we have also increased the prices of our some of our products, which has reduced the inflow of customers.

— Zainab Rizwi · Cornwallis Colony, New Delhi, Unknown

Due to the shortage of LPG, our work has been greatly affected. We run a fast-food shop, so we need gas daily for that. And because of LPG gases, the price of gas for commercial usage has increased from 1000 to 3-4000 rupees, which makes it very difficult for us to procure it. This has also affected our work, and we have had to increase the prices of our items. What we used to sell for 30, we now sell for 40-50 after making it, because the price of LPG has become expensive, so things will also become expensive for us.

— Anshika Saxena · Kichha, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand

The environment was good before, now it doesn't rain on time, due to which farming is not good.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

In this expensive era, it is difficult to do a good business with twenty thousand rupees, but a small business can be done.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

We use LPG cylinder for our household use. The 15 kg cylinder however now costs about rs 1200. Earlier it was about 950. I live in a family of 5 and earn only 6000 per month. Out of this I support my two kids who are in school and college , medicines for my mother in law and other bills. This hike of 300 rs might seem small to a lot of people, but to us it has impacted our household budget a lot, We are still planning to figure out how to adjust this inflation in our budget without cutting down much on our regular expenses. We can think of switching to electric induction stove as we have subsidized electricity.

— Zainab Rizwi · Cornwallis Colony, New Delhi, Unknown

Response 1: We have been badly affected by the LPG situation here in Kannur. Our last cylinder took almost 6 weeks to arrive. In between we managed with an old kerosene stove the smell and smoke was awful. The price has gone up so much compared to even last year, it's really straining our monthly budget.Response 2: My neighbour runs a small bakery and he says fuel costs are killing his business slowly. He needs two cylinders a month minimum and each refill costs more than the last. He's had to cut down on home deliveries because petrol for his bike is also too expensive now.Response 3: At home we've started being very careful. We use the electric kettle and induction stove for small things and save the gas only for proper cooking. My father drives an auto rickshaw and the petrol price increase has really hit his daily earnings. He used to save something every month but these days it's barely enough. We're hoping things improve soon.

— Shalin Sanish · Kumbam, Kannur, Kerala

In my area, Dasheri and Bambaiya are popular mango varieties. This year, the mangoes are not as good as usual. I think the extreme heat may have affected both the quantity and quality of the mangoes.

— Sahil Singh · Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

In my area, Dasheri and Langra are the most popular mango varieties. This year, there are fewer mangoes on the trees, and the quality is not as good as usual.

— Sahil Singh · Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

There is a lack of new technology, good seeds, and irrigation. We do farming, but the cost is high and the profit is low.

— VEER SINGH SIJUI · Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand

This summer has been hotter than usual. This year we experienced more heat waves. We also stopped agriculture in summer due to the unavailability of water for irrigation. This somewhat impacted our economy, which had been a source of external income. During the day, we drink mango and tamarind juice, which helps us maintain our body temperature.

— Anish Toppo · Raiboga, Sundargarh, Odisha

Response 1 – Homemaker: The price of LPG cylinders has become quite high and affects our monthly budget. Sometimes we think about using a wood-fired stove to save money, but during summer the heat and smoke make it very uncomfortable. We try to use LPG carefully and avoid wastage. Response 2 – Auto Driver: The increase in petrol prices directly affects my daily income. Fuel expenses have gone up, but earnings have not increased at the same rate. I avoid unnecessary trips and plan my routes carefully to reduce fuel consumption. Response 3 – Retired School Teacher: I have not experienced any LPG shortage, but rising fuel prices affect everyone. Transportation costs have increased, and the prices of vegetables and other essential goods have also gone up. Families have to spend more on daily necessities than before

— Devadharshini S · Kappalur, Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Elderly neighbors, children work in other cities. "In Kolkata we mostly get Himsagar and Langra, and this season the quality has been inconsistent — smaller fruit, some batches not as sweet as usual. But what bothers me more is the middleman problem. The vendor tells me prices are high, yet I read that farmers in Murshidabad are not getting fair rates. The consumer pays more and the farmer earns less — someone in between is profiting. I would like to tell our local councillor that the municipality should organise seasonal farmer markets, directly connecting mango growers from the district to buyers in Dum Dum. It would bring prices down for us and give farmers a fairer income. This is not a new idea but nobody has acted on it seriously. If the councillor can push for even a weekly market during the mango season it would make a real difference to many households."

— Yuvikaa Agarwal · South Dumdum, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

Yes, we too have been affected by the rising prices of gas and oil. Earlier, household expenses somehow managed, but now it's difficult to manage the budget every month. With gas cylinders becoming expensive, we use them very carefully. We try to use less gas and cook food quickly. With petrol-diesel becoming expensive, the cost of commuting to farms, markets, and jobs has also increased. Many people are now using shared vehicles or public transport to save some money. The impact of inflation is directly affecting family savings. We want the government and concerned departments to find a good solution as soon as possible, so that the lives of common people can become a little easier.

— Kumari Ankita · Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh

Yes, I've been highly affected due to this crisis and even my business has changed its way of dealing with purchasing and selling cost. Due to shortage of LPG cost of purchasing it has been increased which led me to increase the cost of products of my business. This has affected the number of customers coming to us leading to unsatisfactory profits.

— Anish Toppo · Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh

My name is Thanapalu. The cylinder is not easily available. They are making us wait for 45 to 50 days. Since the cylinder is not readily available, we are cooking on other stoves. They are not even providing the cylinder properly. The price has also gone up. It's a bit difficult. Other stoves are also not easily available. We are unable to cook food in any other way. And it's raining like this. It's a bit difficult. I don't know what to do. It would be fine if we got cash easily. All the prices have gone up. Even with increased prices, they are not giving it properly, they are not delivering. Anyway, they are making us wait for 50 to 60 days. It's a bit difficult.

— Divagar N · Parakkalur AD Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu

Due to LPG shortage, the prices of LPG have gone up, so we can't eat much because we have to save a lot. It's very difficult because we have to save a lot. Due to this, petrol prices have also increased. Petrol prices had increased earlier, it was around ₹100 before. Now it's around ₹108. So, if someone was putting petrol for ₹300, now they have to put it for ₹400 daily. Because of that, it's very difficult for me to manage our daily life and figure out where we are going.

— Urvashi Sriraman · Mugalivakkam, Chennai Corporation, Chennai

Baldev Singh | 70 yrs The increasing fuel prices are directly effecting farming in our area. The prices of fertilisers, insecticides and other stuff used in farming have increased substantially. Moreover, the price of transportation has also increased. This is causing great problems for the community which is largly dependent on farming. The LPG cylinder rates have also hiked. There is no help from the government.

— Harmanjot Kaur · Rajgarh, Barnala, Punjab

The community organization was decided due to changes in the economic situation.

— Devisingh Solanki · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh

Due to forests being destroyed day by day and the lack of proper rainfall, agriculture is not doing well.

— Suna Majhi

In this village, the forest has been damaged a bit more than before this time. Herbs cannot be collected, and because of that, we...

— Padmini Bhoi

Today, significant changes are being observed in the forests of our region. Forests are being cut down, leading to climate change. Rain is occurring at irregular times. Agriculture is also being affected.

— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand

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— Rajib Mallick

Yes, this has affected us. In our village, sometimes gas cylinders are not available on time. Also, gas prices have increased a lot, due to which household expenses have risen. So, we use gas sparingly. We cook as much as possible on a stove and only light the gas when there is a great need. The wood obtained from the fields or cow dung cakes are very useful. This saves gas and reduces the stress of increased expenses a little. In this way, we manage this difficulty.

— Pragati Raut · Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra

There is a very big shortage of gas in our rural areas. Because of this, we have to work very hard to manage household expenses. Due to the increase in gas prices, we cook on a traditional stove (chulha). We bring fuel from the farm and cook on a chulha. And because the prices of fuel have also increased, we travel on foot.

— Pragati Raut · Akola, Maharashtra

Hello, regarding the summer, the sun is very strong. But since we are in the countryside, we don't feel it much because we work in the village. It's a little, a little more. But because we are farmers, we don't feel it. But I don't know how you people in town are coping, poor things. The sun is indeed very strong this year. I don't know if it will stay like this or how it will be. But we ourselves are drinking a lot of water in the countryside. But even if we farm like that, our farming is not yielding much. The yield is very low. Half of the harvest is wasted due to yellow disease. I don't know how we are going to cope.

— Divagar N · Parakkalur AD Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu