In view of the fact that extreme cold or frost has been damaging
crops up to major extent in recent years, the Government of
India has declared frost or cold a natural calamity. A Group of
Ministers (GoM) on drought had recommended earlier that frost
should be included in the list of natural calamities and the
recommendation was approved by the Union Cabinet on 20th July
2012. “Now on, damage to crops due to extreme cold or frost will
be considered a natural calamity and the affected farmers will
be eligible for financial relief from the National Disaster
Relief Fund”- reports The Hindu. Natural events that have so far
been included in the list of natural calamity are drought,
floods, cyclones, earthquakes, fire, tsunamis, hailstorms,
landslips, avalanche, cloudburst and pest attack. Crops damaged
under these calamities are already eligible for relief under
State Disaster Response fund and the National Disaster Response
Fund. Now, crops damaged by extreme cold or frost have also been
included in SDRF and NDRF