Severe drought driving farmers in droves to cities

Following 14% deficit in rainfall during the last south-west monsoon, Telangana government declared 231 out of a total 443 mandals as drought-affected, while the Andhra Pradesh government declared 359 mandals out of 670 as drought-hit. Drought conditions forced farmers and rural people dependent on agriculture to sell off their cattle and migrate to cities in search of odd jobs. Distress sale of cattle saw prices plummet.

According to the latest Ground Water department report in Telangana, average ground water level was 14.88 mm in March 2016, whereas it was 12.27mm during the same period in 2015. The report reveals that stress on groundwater table was grave. The State received only 500 mm rainfall against the normal rainfall of 862 mm.

As a result, almost the entire Telangana is in the grip of water scarcity, while the water levels in 14 major reservoirs serving both the States have fallen alarmingly. The water levels in all these reservoirs was 224 tmcft as on April 21 as against 233 tmcft the same day last year two of them have even completely dried up. Moreover, with reservoirs across Krishna and Godavari rivers reaching dead storage and groundwater table depleting further, Andhra Pradesh is also in a severe grip of water scarcity.

Adding to woes, scarcity of fodder and lack of water have compelled small-time farmers in the worst-hit Mahbubnagar, Nizambad and Nalgonda districts of Telangana and perennially drought-prone Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh to sell off their cattle to slaughterhouses. Farmers, who keep milch animals for additional income, are also selling them off at half the price.

They think it is a better way of ending the misery of cattle, than see them go parched and die of thirst and for want of fodder. Several farmers are also abandoning their cattle in villages to mercy of god and migrating to cities in search of jobs. Generally, migration is a common phenomenon in summer every year, but the number this year has gone up substantially due to the severity of the drought.

Rural indebtedness is also very high in both Telugu States as farmers are unable to make both ends meet and the dependent sections are also starved of any means of income. Marriages, especially of girls, are having to be put off. The Telangana government has extended ‘Kalyana Laxmi’ scheme even to the BPL families of backward classes, to provide them some succour. Hitherto, the scheme was meant only for SCs/STs and Minority communities were availing of Shaddi Mubarak.

Meanwhile, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP), which becomes the mainstay of the rural labour, has failed the poor due to cut in funds and non-payment of wages to the labourers for the last year works. Recently, the Governor summoned Telangana government officials to apprise him of drought relief measures in view of media reports on the drought conditions and drinking water problem in the State.

He was informed about the summer action plans, especially for drinking water arrangements. The Centre released only Rs 100 crore of the total sanctioned Rs 700 crore for 231 drought hit mandals for supply of drinking water. Earlier, this month the Supreme Court had urged the Centre to immediately provide relief to drought-hit states, pointing out that soaring temperature in the summer of 2016 would worsen the situation.

The meteorological department has held out hope that this year’s monsoon rains could be above average, amid a receding El Nino - a warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean that leads to dry spells in South Asia. Both governments and people, particularly rural populace, are desperately looking the rain god to shower his mercy upon them.