ravishingravi Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 MUMBAI: The state's worst drought in decades has begun pushing rural folk towards Mumbai. Squeezed out of their villages by water scarcity, hundreds of young men from Maharashtra's parched interiors are now standing on the city's doorstep in search of employment. They are seen hanging around construction sites and railway stations in Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayander , waiting to be hired as labourers by contractors. Back home, they are farmers, some of them even owning fields. The men say although the government supplies water to their villages once in a while, no monetary aid has reached them. Bhagwan Bade (25) from Ghevsai village in Jalna district, who now stays at Penkarpada in Mira Road, says the water in Mumbai's public toilets is much better than that supplied for drinking in the villages by the government. "We have seen our animals die over the past three years for lack of water and fodder, and this year it has only got worse—our own survival has become difficult," he said, adding, "If the situation continues, there will be an exodus to the city from villages hit by drought." Over 3,900 villages in the state have been declared drought-hit . The worst affected districts are Nashik, Solapur and those in Marathwada and western Vidarbha, which saw less than 10% of the expected rainfall last year. Krishna Munde (27) of Karadgaon village in Jalna has been staying in the Vasai belt for two months, working as a painter on daily wage. Everyday , he lines up along with other labourers outside railway stations and busy junctions from where contractors pick them up. "I have 12 acres of land in my village where I employ men to work under me. But today the field is not yielding even Rs 12," he said. "As I am not well educated, I have to take up a labourer's job." Munde manages to make Rs 150-200 on a good day. He sends a portion of his earnings to his parents and wife. If the situation back home does not improve, he says he will be forced to bring his wife and children to the city—his parents refuse to leave their village. Munde and others like him have made the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway and the illegal hutments in Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayander their home. After work, they gather along the highway in Vasai, talking about the day they can return to their villages. For migrants, every rupee makes a difference Life's tough, but for men from drought-hit villages who make a beeline for Mumbai and its extended suburbs, there's little choice but to wait for good times. They sleep on street corners, take a bath under the cover of darkness and take turns to cook. In these casual communities , men from different villages bond together and help one another find jobs and accommodation . The signs of drought got worse in November, forcing the men to turn to the city. Vasudev Munde (24), who has a 10-acre field and a pucca house in Solapur, said it was the cumulative effect of more than three bad years that made him migrate. "I sold off my bullocks fearing they would die and ran to the city in search of a job," he said. "Back home we were self-contained till three to four years ago. But my parents still have hope." Other places like Naigaon (E) and Ghodbunder Road in Thane have also become home for the droughtaffected . The men have now also started scouting for more secure rooms so that they can bring their wives and children over. Ganesh Bade (32) from Panegaon village of Jalna has already checked out the municipal school in Bhayander for his two children, but a decent home remains a challenge as even the chawls in Mira-Bhayander command deposits of Rs 10,000-15 ,000. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-24/mumbai/37980722_1_vasai-virar-drought-hit-villages Happy Holi I guess !! Pathetic state. The apathy of state and media is unbelievable.
Prakat Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 What a shame on the govt. Why doesn't MNS step in?
ravishingravi Posted March 25, 2013 Author Posted March 25, 2013 ^It is trying to make this political game. They attacked Indiabulls bldg yesterday
diga Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 Why dont they migrate to Bihar or Guj, whiich have the highest growth rate in the country? There should be plenty of employment opportunities
Prakat Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 @ravi tragic really. Instead of doing something concrete for their good they are engaging in theatrics. It's business as usual for the MNS.
Mariyam Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-24/mumbai/37980722_1_vasai-virar-drought-hit-villages Happy Holi I guess !! Pathetic state. The apathy of state and media is unbelievable. You quote an article from the mainstream media and then accuse the media of being apathetic? ^It is trying to make this political game. They attacked Indiabulls bldg yesterday Which one? The one at Lower Parel? One thing the article hasn't mentioned is the size of the migration. Makes one wonder if claims by the state government that it has added 3.2 million hectares of agricultural land are mere eyewash. Eastern Marathwada and the Vidarbha have been drought prone for quite sometime. The farmer suicides are a result of these droughts. The government didn't seem to care much. That Nashik ( doesn't the Godavari drain the region?) and Solapur ( which is in the relative fertile and water rich part of Western Maharashtra) should be affected by a drought are warning signs. Not just of the governments inaction or corruption ( re: the irrigation scam) but also of some kind of overall climate change.
ravishingravi Posted March 25, 2013 Author Posted March 25, 2013 You quote an article from the mainstream media and then accuse the media of being apathetic? Which one? The one at Lower Parel? One thing the article hasn't mentioned is the size of the migration. Makes one wonder if claims by the state government that it has added 3.2 million hectares of agricultural land are mere eyewash. Eastern Marathwada and the Vidarbha have been drought prone for quite sometime. The farmer suicides are a result of these droughts. The government didn't seem to care much. That Nashik ( doesn't the Godavari drain the region?) and Solapur ( which is in the relative fertile and water rich part of Western Maharashtra) should be affected by a drought are warning signs. Not just of the governments inaction or corruption ( re: the irrigation scam) but also of some kind of overall climate change. Absolutely. Because it is not just a question of coverage. The proportion and intensity of coverage also matters. We are too busy covering India's 4-0 win, Dutt's predicament, Miss India winner, Italian marines, SL crisis etc. Those are stories. I accept. But this too me is problem of catastrophic proportions.
G_B_ Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 keep voting for the congress and ncp and this is what you get.... huge irrigation scams.
Clarke Posted March 30, 2013 Posted March 30, 2013 Rs. 60,000 crores spent in the last 10 years on watershed development in the state and this is the result
Prakat Posted March 30, 2013 Posted March 30, 2013 Apparently watershed development didn't involve any development of watersheds.
Crookbond Posted March 30, 2013 Posted March 30, 2013 Absolutely. Because it is not just a question of coverage. The proportion and intensity of coverage also matters. We are too busy covering India's 4-0 win, Dutt's predicament, Miss India winner, Italian marines, SL crisis etc. Those are stories. I accept. But this too me is problem of catastrophic proportions. You need to read the right outlets for the kind of coverage you want. For example, The Hindu which is widely regarded as one of the best news papers in India has had extensive coverage on the Maharashtra Drought. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/central-assistance-to-droughthit-karnataka-and-maharashtra/article4295191.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/egom-likely-to-meet-next-week-to-discuss-maharashtra-drought/article4459048.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/maharashtra-drought-is-manmade-athavale/article4479522.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/rs-1200crore-drought-relief-package-for-maharashtra/article4503969.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/droughthit-maharashtra-villages-losing-patience/article3394923.ece http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/blogs/blog-free-for-all/article4461726.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/bjp-chews-chavan-out-for-food-tender/article4513914.ece http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/hazare-has-proof-of-loan-waiver-scam/article4520367.ece http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/the-other-half/article4459849.ece http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/sainath/how-the-other-half-dries/article4456130.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/123-talukas-in-maharashtra-declared-droughthit/article3807182.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/pawar-promises-assistance-for-maharashtra/article3712911.ece The first articles date as far as August, 2012. Even the TOI has had quite a bit of coverage in this area.
saneindian Posted March 30, 2013 Posted March 30, 2013 NDTV India has been running series of reports on the drought, have seen numerous discussions on Rajya Sabha TV. The ELM has obviously not given too much of a coverage except for some media celebs tweeting things like waterless holi.
ravishingravi Posted March 30, 2013 Author Posted March 30, 2013 You need to read the right outlets for the kind of coverage you want. For example, The Hindu which is widely regarded as one of the best news papers in India has had extensive coverage on the Maharashtra Drought. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/central-assistance-to-droughthit-karnataka-and-maharashtra/article4295191.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/egom-likely-to-meet-next-week-to-discuss-maharashtra-drought/article4459048.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/maharashtra-drought-is-manmade-athavale/article4479522.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/rs-1200crore-drought-relief-package-for-maharashtra/article4503969.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/droughthit-maharashtra-villages-losing-patience/article3394923.ece http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/blogs/blog-free-for-all/article4461726.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/bjp-chews-chavan-out-for-food-tender/article4513914.ece http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/hazare-has-proof-of-loan-waiver-scam/article4520367.ece http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/the-other-half/article4459849.ece http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/sainath/how-the-other-half-dries/article4456130.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/123-talukas-in-maharashtra-declared-droughthit/article3807182.ece http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/pawar-promises-assistance-for-maharashtra/article3712911.ece The first articles date as far as August, 2012. Even the TOI has had quite a bit of coverage in this area. Not August even before that there was some reporting and coverage on television on the matter with below par monsoon. Not sure which part in my post denied this. Again I reiterate the reports and intensity of coverage of mainstream media which includes newspaper and television. Ofcourse Hindu is the best newspaper, but it certainly isn't the only newspaper or the medium. I won't even go to the numbers it reaches out to. Intensity of coverage is not just reporting the news. It is judged relative to nature of events that received more coverage in that time. Not to mention this digression from the core issue.
Crookbond Posted March 30, 2013 Posted March 30, 2013 Not August even before that there was some reporting and coverage on television on the matter with below par monsoon. Not sure which part in my post denied this. Again I reiterate the reports and intensity of coverage of mainstream media which includes newspaper and television. Ofcourse Hindu is the best newspaper, but it certainly isn't the only newspaper or the medium. I won't even go to the numbers it reaches out to. Intensity of coverage is not just reporting the news. It is judged relative to nature of events that received more coverage in that time. Not to mention this digression from the core issue. I mean - is this based on your perception or do you have some data to say this? I can understand where you come from but I have a contrary perception hence the number query.
Mariyam Posted March 30, 2013 Posted March 30, 2013 NDTV India has been running series of reports on the drought' date=' have seen numerous discussions on Rajya Sabha TV. The ELM has obviously not given too much of a coverage except for some media celebs tweeting things like waterless holi.[/quote'] Yup. Sreenivasan Jain's show today on NDTV was an expose on the irrigation scams and the fallout on the environment.
Recommended Posts