IMPACT OF HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODS ON ARACANUT GROWERS

Climate means interactions between atmosphere (Air), Hydrosphere (Water), Cryosphere (Ice and Permafrost), Biosphere (living things), and Lithosphere (Earth's crust and upper mantle). This results for daily weather and long term averages of weather. Climate change means the climate system receives all its energy from the sun, a small amount of energy from earth's interior parts. The climate system gives off energy to outer space. The balance between the incoming and outgoing energy and the passage of energy through climate system determines earth's energy. When the incoming energy is greater than the outgoing energy the climate will become warm. If the outgoing energy is more than the incoming, energy the earth will experience cooling effect. In Karnataka, state Areca nut is a main commercial crop in practice. It was earlier grown in malenadu regions, coastal regions, and side of sahyadri mountain regions. But in now a day's Areca nut is growing in table lands (Bayalu Seemae) also. For Areca nut crop sandy soil, red soil, jambbe ittige soil, meccal soil is suitable. Areca nut crop needs more rain and water whenever is needed. It is sustainable to hot climate also. The life time of Areca nut tree is about 50 to 60 years. From the time of Mahabharata, Ramayana and till today Areca nut is growing and utilizing by the human kind in India. There are evidences for the Areca nut crop in the past history. In Mudigere Taluk Aracanut is growing in 2599 hectares, total Aracanut yielding is 2780 tones, the average yield per hectare is 1.07 tones only. In recent days due to heavy rains and floods by the rivers of Hemavathi and Bhadra thousands of farmers lost their valuable Aracanut gardens, horticulture crops gardens and food crops fields also. Hundreds of families lost their home also. The most affected villages in Mudigere taluk will come under the purview of Baaluru hobli, mainly the villages are Maalemane, Muttinakonda, Alekhanhoratti and neighboring villages. This is due to human intervention on environment, development of new buildings, roads, infrastructures in eco sensitive areas. Recently temperature is rising day by day and climate is also changing due to global warming. In this study we are studying impact of heavy rains and floods in the above mentioned area. Bibliography: An introduction of sociology by Vidya Bhushan, D.R. Sachdeva. Medical Sociology by M. Thamilarasan. Environmental Studies by Arun K Tripathi. Websites, journals, Newspapers and TV channels.