Importance of Monsoons

Rains are of great importance for India's Economy, specially its agriculture industry. Since India does not have any river linkage system, people suffer with natural calamities like floods and drought resulting in destruction of crops. It is due to this that Indian farmers are completely dependent on monsoon showers. But with depletion of forests and global warming, the scientist community across the world have observed a change in the timmings of monsoon showers across the world. India is one of the most affected countries that has suffered due to change in timmings of monsoon. Last year, i.e. in 2009, monsoons ditched the farmers resulting in shortage of production targets of wheat, pulses, vegetables and fruits.
Shortage of food supply resulted in chaos among public as there was uncontrolled price rise in all food products. Many states including Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand suffered drought conditions. Farmers were badly hit as crops failed them and their incapability to repay loans resulted in many farmers commiting suicide.
Rains are also important as they give respite to people after summers. Rains are alos importnat for India as they help in maintaining the ecology and bio diversity of nature. Himalayan forests are completely dependent on rainfall as there is shortage of ground water in hilly areas. Though there are lakes in the hills, they too need to be recharged, for which they depend on monsoon showers. We all know that 60% of India's economy depends on agriculture sector that provides employment to lakhs of farmers, who inturn produce food grains for crores of people of our country.
Remember 2005 when the whole of Maharashtra including its capital Mumbai, also known as the financial capital fo India was cut off with the whole of India due to heavy floods resulting in loss of lives of thousands of people. Mumbai kept facing flood like situations in 2006,2007 and 2008 consecutively. But in 2009, the whole of India faced drought due to failure of monsoons. Keeping this in mind the Congress led UPA centre govt. should take steps for river linking project as it was the same UPA govt. that was in power when both floods and drought occured across the country.
Though i must say that monsoons are of great importance for India, still there is need to connect rivers through river linking project that needs to be carried out in a phased manner so that natural calamities like floods and drought can be controlled and crops can be saved from destrcution and farmers from committing suicide. Steps should be taken to address the problems of global warming and deforestation. Centre govt. should work in coordination with state govts. to carry out afforestation drive and control solid and liquid waste discharge of industries. If proper efforts are made for water, soil and forest conservatiuon, surely it would result in increased rains during monsoons which is a must for agriculture absed economy like India. Lets hope for the best.