Editor, RE: “Who will suffer most from climate change?” (The New Times, September 3). The Bihar rice farmer’s plight is our plight. However, ours is not due to flood, but high salinity in our lagoon waters and salt ingress of the soil. Due to high salt content of the lagoon from intentional pumping of sea water to relieve pressure from the tidal waves on the sea defence wall, grass and planktons have died and fish cannot breed. High salt content of soil makes it unsuitable for sugar cane for which the area was once famous. To compound it all, climate change has made the weather so unpredictable that it is always a gamble to plant anything. Otherwise, how come a community of farmers and fisher folk has turned into one of star gazers. They wait for dole outs from their children who have migrated to cities to eke out a living from doing non-jobs. Silva Lumor
