In India under food security bill of 2013 included Rice, Wheat and millets [Sorghum, Pearl Millet & Finger Millet]. Local governments rarely supply millets to ration dealers. North India primarily wheat and south India primarily rice is supplied to public distribution outlets. Millets are considered as healthy diet as grains are unpolluted. Rice and wheat are unhealthy diet as grains are polluted. In south India, in ration shops poor quality rice is sold. Ration card holders sell the rice to ration shop and they in turn rice millers who in turn polish sell to Food Corporation of India that supplied to ration shops. In voluntary food supply use brocken rice.
Children diet: milk products, oil products are adulterated. Governments knowing fully well, come forward to take any action on such outlets [except once in a while]. Majority of water supplied for drinking is not clean. The air they breathe is also not pure.
In India central and states fight on procurement based on the political rivalry. The main suffers are farmers and farm labourers. In the case of Telangana State, during 2021-22 crop seasons, central and state governments are fighting till to date on purchase of rice from farmers. This is unusual in India for the first time it so happens that to in Telangana State. This resulted state chief minister asked not to grow paddy in Rabi [post-rainy season]. In fact this state received good rains during 2021 and thus helped rise in groundwater availability. Farmers have no seed to go for alternate crops. So, the lands were kept fallow. This affected the farmers, labour, animal and thus milk. This is basically because, in Kharif [rainy season] too much power was consumed for lifting water from ground water and canal water with poor planning. Also, they indiscriminately produced hydropower even far below the dead storage level. This affected Andhra Pradesh in terms of water availability for irrigation and drinking. This helped to cover up wasteful use of power in irrigation. Mishandling of irrigation projects with political agenda. Also, with regional political parties’ culture, wasting fertile agriculture lands for real estate ventures that create rural to urban migration and as a result they live under filthy-unhygienic conditions.
What I wanted to say here is, theoretical exercises are far from reality. They varied from country to country; and state to state within the country. FAO/FSN must work at ground realities. NGOs may give poor quality feedback as their interest is to get funds.
Dr. Sazzala Jeevananda Reddy
Formerly Chief Technical Advisor-WMO/UN & Expert-FAO/UN
Fellow, Andhra Pradesh Akademy of Sciences
Fellow, Telangana Academy of Sciences
Convenor, Forum for a Sustainable Environment
Hyderabad, TS, India
Dr. Dr. Sazzala Jeevananda Reddy