Data recap: Onion row, rainfall, Modi support, and more

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Plain Facts publishes a compilation of data-based insights, complete with easy-to-read charts, to help you delve deeper into the stories reported by Mint in the week gone by. Incessant rainfall once again is wreaking havoc in the northern part of the country, while imposition of export duty on onions has caused an uproar. Meanwhile, the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is far from fading even after nine years.

The northern part of India is once again witnessing incessant rainfall, causing landslides and loss of lives and properties, mainly in Himachal Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings of heavy to very heavy rainfall for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, among others, until Friday. While rainfall is nearly 7% lower than normal so far, these states have received excess rainfall, going up to 220% above normal for Uttar Pradesh from 8.30 am on 23 August and 8.30 am on 24 August.

Costly onions have forced the government to swing into action with measures to control the prices. However, this did not sit well with onion traders and farmers. They have protested the imposition of 40% export duty on onions, with auctions being called off in the Nashik market.

This is not the first time the government has imposed export restrictions to control prices. Similar measures have been taken for rice, wheat, and sugar to control rising food inflation. However, this time, pitting consumers’ interest against the farmers’ has caused an uproar.