By ARPITA PRIYADARSHINI MISHRA
INTRODUCTION:-
I remember a conversation that stayed with me longer than expected.
It was not dramatic. No big statement. Just a farmer saying, almost under his breath, “Ab mausam pe bharosa nahi raha.”
That line says a lot about farming in India today.
For generations, Indian farmers have lived with uncertainty. But what they are facing now feels heavier, more relentless. Climate change has altered not just weather patterns, but the emotional rhythm of rural life. Rains arrive late, or all at once. Heatwaves stretch longer than before. Floods destroy crops that survived months of care.
And when crops fail, debt does not.
This is where today’s crisis sits between drought and debt quietly reshaping lives across India’s villages.
WHEN THE CLIMATE REFUSES TO FOLLOW THE CALENDAR -
Agriculture in India still depends deeply on nature’s timing. Sowing, irrigation, harvesting everything follows a seasonal logic passed down over decades.
That logic is breaking.
In recent years, farmers across regions have spoken about the same problem in different words: unpredictability. A delayed monsoon means dry fields. Sudden heavy rain means waterlogged crops. Heatwaves now arrive early, damaging young plants before they can survive.
Reports in The Hindu and Down To Earth have repeatedly pointed out how climate variability is increasing yield uncertainty, especially for rain-fed farming regions. For small farmers, even a single failed crop can upset an entire year’s income.
What makes this harder is that climate stress does not come with warning. There is no time to prepare. The damage is often realised only after it is done.
DEBT THAT GROWS EVEN WHEN CROPS DON'T -
Debt has always existed in Indian agriculture. But climate stress has changed its nature.
Today, farmers borrow not just to invest, but to survive. Seeds, fertilisers, diesel, irrigation, labour costs rise every season. When crops fail due to droughts or floods, loans remain unpaid. Interest continues to grow.
Several ground reports covered by The Indian Express show how repeated climate shocks push farmers towards informal credit, even when institutional loans exist. Formal systems are slow. Paperwork is complex. Climate disasters do not wait.
One farmer explained it simply: “Fasal gayi, par karza nahi gaya.”
Crop insurance exists, but compensation often arrives late and rarely covers the real loss. Many farmers say it helps on paper, not in practice.
SMALL FARMERS, BIGGER RISKS -
India’s farming landscape is dominated by small and marginal farmers. Their landholdings are limited. Their savings are thin.
Climate change affects them first.
They cannot afford climate-resilient technologies or expensive irrigation systems. They depend on rainfall and local water sources that are increasingly unreliable. When crops fail repeatedly, migration becomes a coping strategy.
During drought years, villages thin out. Men move to cities for daily wage work. Women manage farms and households with reduced resources. Children’s education suffers. Nutrition becomes compromised.
These are not abstract effects. They are everyday adjustments people make quietly.
FARMER SUICIDES: A REALITY WE STRUGGLE TO TALK ABOUT -
Talking about farmer suicides is uncomfortable, but avoiding it does not make it disappear.
While suicides are influenced by multiple social and economic factors, climate stress and indebtedness remain significant contributors. Regions facing repeated droughts or crop failures often report higher distress indicators.
Newspaper reports over the years show that behind every number is a family dealing with loss not only of income, but of dignity and hope.
This is not about blaming climate change alone. It is about recognising how climate stress intensifies existing vulnerabilities, pushing some beyond their limit.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT: BETWEEN POLICY AND PRACTICE -
India has introduced several schemes aimed at supporting farmers crop insurance, income support programmes, disaster compensation, and minimum support prices.
On paper, these measures matter.
On the ground, experiences vary. Compensation is often delayed. Assessments take time. Awareness about schemes is uneven. Some farmers benefit. Others fall through gaps.
As highlighted in multiple Down To Earth analyses, climate impacts move faster than administrative systems. When support arrives late, its value reduces sharply.
This gap between policy intention and field reality continues to frustrate farmers.
ADAPTATION, QUIETLY TAKING SHAPE -
Despite everything, farming in India has not collapsed.
In drought-prone regions, some farmers are returning to millets and traditional crops that need less water. In flood-affected areas, mixed cropping and raised-bed farming are being tried. Community water conservation efforts are reviving old practices.
These adaptations rarely make headlines. They are slow, local, and practical.
The UN’s food and agriculture reports repeatedly emphasise that climate-resilient farming must be rooted in local knowledge. Indian farmers, when supported, have shown that resilience is possible.
But resilience should not be forced. It should be supported.
CLIMATE JUSTICE AND THE FARMER’S QUESTION -
At its heart, farmer distress in a climate-changed India raises a question of fairness.
Farmers contribute little to global emissions. Yet they bear some of the heaviest consequences of climate change. Crop loss, debt, migration, emotional stress these are daily costs paid by those least responsible.
India’s Constitution recognises environmental protection under Article 48A and the right to life with dignity under Article 21. Supporting farmers facing climate stress is not optional. It is a responsibility.
WHAT NEEDS ATTENTION, NOT JUST ANNOUNCEMENT -
Whenever policies are announced, they sound reassuring. On paper, everything seems to be in place. But in villages, the gap between announcement and impact is clearly felt.
Farmers often say that climate-resilient practices are being talked about everywhere, but adopting them is not easy when costs are high and incomes are uncertain. Crop insurance exists, but compensation frequently arrives after the damage has already pushed families deeper into debt. Water management plans are discussed at higher levels, while at the local level, farmers still depend on tankers, borewells, or uncertain rainfall.
Markets too rarely reflect climate risks. When crops fail due to weather extremes, farmers are expected to absorb the loss alone. What remains largely invisible is the emotional toll this takes. The anxiety of not knowing whether the next season will be better, the pressure of unpaid loans, and the quiet fear of failure are rarely addressed openly.
Most importantly, farmers often feel that they are consulted only during crises, not during planning. They are expected to adjust, adapt, and survive but their voices are seldom part of decisions that shape agricultural policy.
CONCLUSION: LISTENING BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE -
Indian agriculture is changing, whether we choose to recognise it or not. Climate change has disrupted the rhythm farmers once relied on the seasons no longer behave as expected, and certainty has become rare.
Between drought and debt, many farmers are holding on quietly. Some are experimenting with new practices. Some are simply trying to get through the next season. Many are tired, but still hopeful enough to keep going.
If India truly listens not just to data, but to lived experiences from the fields there is still room for meaningful change. Ignoring these realities will not only affect farmers. It will affect food security, rural stability, and the social balance we all depend on.
The climate has already changed.
What remains to be seen is whether our response will change in time.
REFERENCES:-
Reporting and Editorials from The Hindu on climate and Agriculture
Ground Reports and Analysis from Down to Earth Magazine
Rural Economy coverage by the Indian Express
UN and FAO reports on climate - resilient Agriculture
Government of India Policy documents and farmers welfare schemes.
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