Maharashtra Drought 2013

[Tiger80]

Laxman Dhotre is seen searching for work on the streets of Pune. He longs to go back to his home. His wife says, “I want to go back to our village but we can't. There is no water." Same is the case with Mahipati Itole, a migrant from Parbhani. He says, "After Diwali, the land is barren, so I had to move here. I have 5-acre land. I have studied till class 10 but have no job. There is no work in the village." The words of some are *****ing. Ram Patade, a cotton grower from Kutubkheda said, "we don’t have money to pay loans. We have no option than to die starving." The worst ever drought that the state of Maharashtra has experienced till date is the 1972 drought when almost 5 million people had no work as the crops failed. But the current drought in Maharashtra is set to break all the records. With millions estimated to be affected, lakhs of cattle rendered hungry without fodder, this drought is the worst kind of natural disaster that the state has faced. Almost 1/5th of Maharashtra is reeling under drought. Out of the total 225.6 Lakh hectares of land under cultivation, only a small 39.67 Lakh hectares are under irrigation which is only 17.5%, while the rest is left to the mercy of the rains. The irrigation area has not increased by even 0.1% even after spending 70000 Cr rupees. (This is the crux of the famous Irrigation Scam). But is this drought only due to fewer rains? Indeed, less rainfall has been a problem with an official estimate of 64 out of 355 districts recording 50% or more deficient rainfall. But the main contributing factor to this drought has been shoddy management of existing water resources, the lack of a proper policy of water distribution and the distribution of water to industries more than fields. The shocking data of the Maharashtra drought is presented herewith- Affected Villages : According to official figures, 15 districts comprising 11,801 villages are declared as drought-affected. There is acute water scarcity in 1,779 villages & 4,709 smaller habitations. Some of the villages are facing drought for the second consecutive year. 6200 villages are affected by drought in Vidarbha alone. Around 331 villages in Amravati, 800 in Yavatmal, 300 in Gadchiroli and 120 in Wardha district of the region in Eastern Maharashtra are severely affected. Cattle Camps : There is acute shortage of fodder for the cattle. But the cattle camp management has not been that good. Ahmednagar, Solapur, Satara and Sangli together have 457 cattle camps with an allocation of Rs.275 crores. But Beed,Osmanabad,Jalna have just about 40 camps. Not Much help to other places in Vidarbha was given leading to starving cattle stock. Water Storage : The dams in Maharashtra are in a sad state. It is ironical that the state having the largest number of dams in the whole country is currently facing droughts. According to estimates, Maharashtra has almost 25-30% of the total dams in the country. Big dams like Jayakwadi, Ujani and Koyna are running dry and have to rely on their dead stock for supplying water. Marathwada region has the worst statistics of water levels with only 9% of the total capacity remaining as compared to 30% last year. Jayakwadi dam has only 9% water left. According to the state’s Groundwater Surveys, 195 of the 1531 watersheds are critically depleted, 73 already ‘over exploited’. Drinking Water : In Maharashtra currently 1454 towns and 4100 villages are supplied with 1850 tankers of water. Situation in Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Osmanbad is so bad that existing drinking water will last only till end of March. Drinking water supply is fast drying up as the civic authorities are releasing potable water once in 10 to 15 days in Vidarbha. Acute shortage of drinking water in Solapur, Satara, Sangli, Pune & Nashik. Solapur is set to get water after a gap of 2 days while the taps in Jalna are already running dry. The estimates say that the use of tankers could increase up to 2100. Agriculture & Industries : In several parts of the Ahmednagar district, lack of irrigation has visibly destroyed cotton, wheat crops & sweet lime plantations, Sugarcane production expected to go down due to lack of fodder and water. Total cane area in Maharashtra and Karnataka will be down 20 to 25% for next season. Since the sugar industries are not running properly, distilleries are also getting affected. 80% of the distilleries will close down by April due to water shortage says R G Mane, secretary of the distillery association. Some of the grape plantations in Nashik have already been destroyed. Some areas are such that the crops there have literally been ‘burnt’ due to the scorching heat and lack of water. The situation is so bad that the researchers say that if no steps are taken, almost 30 million people could be affected. And this would happen in that state which contributes 13.3% of GDP !! The fuel in the fire is that the Maharashtra Government has yet not declared drought, officially. The effects of drought have already started to show themselves. Due to lack of work, people are selling off lands and migrating to cities like Mumbai and Pune. The moral sense of people is getting affected with news coming that a brother tried to kill his own brother for water in Paithan taluka. There is some ray of hope. EGoM has approved 1,207 Cr for drought relief, although Maharashtra had demanded money not less than 5000 Cr. Distribution of funds has been successful in districts like Sangamner, Jat, Palus, Mann, Mangalveda, Parner, Bhoom, Purandar, Athapadi, Kavthe, Khanapur, Tasgaon & Sangole. http://www.ibtl.in/news/exclusive/2079/maharashtra-drought-2013/

Is it not surprsing that Indian media is hardly covering the drought. Also where are Raj and Udhav Thackerey , so called messiahs of Marathi manus?

[Tiger80]

NGO concerned over trafficking of girls from drought-hit Maharashtra As people in drought-hit parts of Maharashtra face livelihood challenges, concerns have been raised over the possibility of girls from these areas being allegedly trafficked to Goa for flesh trade, according to a prominent NGO here. Past experiences have shown how girls and women were trafficked and pushed into sex trade, when calamities like natural disaster or conflicts happen, leaving people helpless, NGO ARZ (Anyay Rahit Zindagi) director Arun Pandey said. "We are concerned as the past experience are bad. The girls rescued from Goa, originally from areas of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, had narrated how they were drawn into this trade after they became victims of natural disaster," Pandey told PTI. However, a senior police officer said that they have not come across any such specific trend. "But we have not come across any such specific trend (of girls being trafficked from drought-hit areas of Maharashtra)," he said, adding that they have been cracking down on the organised nexus in prostitution. Pandey claimed that there have been reports of girls being pushed into brothels in Mumbai, from the drought-affected areas. It would take time to establish whether the girls from these areas are being pushed in Goa too, he said. "Goa is not a direct destination for trafficking. First the girls are usually taken to places like Mumbai and Pune and from there, they are trafficked to Goa," he said. It is difficult for the NGOs working in those areas to ascertain whether the women, who are being taken away from drought-hit zones, are migrating or being trafficked, he said. Trafficking happens when government help does not reach there in time, he alleged. "Similar situation will arise in Maharashtra, if the local government fails to reach them," he warned. "We won't come to know unless a girl is rescued (here)," he said. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/NGO-concerned-over-trafficking-of-girls-from-drought-hit-Maharashtra/Article1-1035402.aspx

[Detonator]

I guess the Maharastra Govt spent an absurd lot of money on Irrigation... Only God knows where it has gone.. Why the Hell the PM or the HM in centre keep silent?? I donno what it takes them to declare a drought as official.. Are they waiting for farmers to die ?? Heartless, Spineless, totally gut-wrenching act by the centre and state govt politicians..

[jiggo]

Maybe they could start imposing bans on IPL matches in Mumbai and Pune with all the water that will be used to keep the fields green.

[DomainK]

Maybe they could start imposing bans on IPL matches in Mumbai and Pune with all the water that will be used to keep the fields green.

Before that they should have stopped self-proclaimed godmen from wasting thousands of liters of water playing Holi.

[kubrickian]

Why hasnt India still moved on from agriculture to depending more on manufacturing, industries like Europe, USA, China etc. ? Is there even a big thrust in that direction ? Till people depend on rains, situation will always be like this because you can never count on monsoons.

[jiggo]

Why hasnt India still moved on from agriculture to depending more on manufacturing, industries like Europe, USA, China etc. ? Is there even a big thrust in that direction ? Till people depend on rains, situation will always be like this because you can never count on monsoons.

It doesn't help when billions of dollars meant for irrigation and water management projects are gobbled up by Congressi ministers.

[Mariyam]

It doesn't help when billions of dollars meant for irrigation and water management projects are gobbled up by Congressi ministers.

The NCP are the bigger culprits here. The funny part is that the NCP's manifesto in the last state elections mentioned water management and drought relief. And reports suggest that they even won a substantial number of seats in the Marathwada/Aurandabad region on this plank.

[Holysmoke]

We'll still see the rural population vote for these guys again in the next election. :((

Why hasnt India still moved on from agriculture to depending more on manufacturing, industries like Europe, USA, China etc. ? Is there even a big thrust in that direction ? Till people depend on rains, situation will always be like this because you can never count on monsoons.

We don't have the expertise and technology. Hence, services.

[Mariyam]

Why hasnt India still moved on from agriculture to depending more on manufacturing, industries like Europe, USA, China etc. ? Is there even a big thrust in that direction ? Till people depend on rains, situation will always be like this because you can never count on monsoons.

Its because of the government of Maharashtra has been virulently anti-industry for the last 15 odd years. They've repeatedly introduced legislation, which thwarts any kind of industrial innovation and makes the manufacturing sector in Maharashtra very competitive. In fact, the freebies that the govt. offers to farmers are financed by raising the price of essentials like warehousing, electricity etx from the industrial sector. Like Holy said, farmers are protected ( on paper at least), industries are harshly taxed, especially mfg units and the govt. here adopts a laissez faire wrt the service sector. That is the sole reason why its doing well. Gujarat, Orissa, TN and Karnataka are better places if you want to set up a manufacturing business.

[Detonator]

Its because of the government of Maharashtra has been virulently anti-industry for the last 15 odd years. They've repeatedly introduced legislation, which thwarts any kind of industrial innovation and makes the manufacturing sector in Maharashtra very competitive. In fact, the freebies that the govt. offers to farmers are financed by raising the price of essentials like warehousing, electricity etx from the industrial sector. Like Holy said, farmers are protected ( on paper at least), industries are harshly taxed, especially mfg units and the govt. here adopts a laissez faire wrt the service sector. That is the sole reason why its doing well. Gujarat, Orissa, TN and Karnataka are better places if you want to set up a manufacturing business.

Anti-small and medium scale industry started by non-politicians to be precise. Pune and Nagpur has some decent kick off due to the MIDC initiatives, but most of them has a political puppets or politicians themselves, who doesn't pay the taxes. Getting a unit in MIDC is very difficult, unless it's a foreign investment or a corporate giant. I don't think Karnataka & TN is a better place for industry for last 1 year as there is a power supply crisis due to over-industrialization.

[Crookbond]

Why hasnt India still moved on from agriculture to depending more on manufacturing, industries like Europe, USA, China etc. ? Is there even a big thrust in that direction ? Till people depend on rains, situation will always be like this because you can never count on monsoons.

Isn't agriculture also "manufacturing of food"? I don't think India should "move over" from agriculture. Rather, a healthy setup of manufacturing industries would be good for the economy.

[jiggo]

Anti-small and medium scale industry started by non-politicians to be precise. Pune and Nagpur has some decent kick off due to the MIDC initiatives, but most of them has a political puppets or politicians themselves, who doesn't pay the taxes. Getting a unit in MIDC is very difficult, unless it's a foreign investment or a corporate giant. I don't think Karnataka & TN is a better place for industry for last 1 year as there is a power supply crisis due to over-industrialization.

tbh all these _IDCs are being exploited by politicians and people connected to them. So many of these IDCs have been snapped with no intention to manufacture anything but the sole purpose of flipping them for a handsome profit. Hence many of these IDCs end up as metalwork workshops (cheap start-up cost and simple business to run) whilst waiting for a buyer. It is near impossible to get an IDC unit in any state at a decent price.

[Tiger80]

The NCP are the bigger culprits here. The funny part is that the NCP's manifesto in the last state elections mentioned water management and drought relief. And reports suggest that they even won a substantial number of seats in the Marathwada/Aurandabad region on this plank.

And what Indian media is doing ? Why there is always endless discussion on Gujarat , Modi but hardly any airtime for drought?

[Lurker]

Why hasnt India still moved on from agriculture to depending more on manufacturing' date= industries like Europe, USA, China etc. ? Is there even a big thrust in that direction ? Till people depend on rains, situation will always be like this because you can never count on monsoons.

Gotta love simplistic notions like that. If those who depend on agriculture would turn to manufacturing, industries, where are they going to move? Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta? Wait...I thought these cities are already over-stressed by migrants! Unless you expect TATA and Birlas and Reliance to open industries in remotest areas of the country, I fail to see whats your point. That aside, agriculture is a very viable option in India. Indian soil, in many states, are lot more fertile than the country you have quoted. In Bihar you have teen-pasla zameen, as in land that can get you 3 crops. Does Europe have that? Or US? Or China? Dont think so. States like Bihar can produce vegetables for entire country, or atleast bulk of it. Punjab, Haryana, Western UP can produce wheat and rice for our teeming billions. Lets work on encouraging them rather than thinking how to convert farmers into formen. Nothing against Industries of course. Just that solutions have to be multi-facted.

[Crookbond]

And what Indian media is doing ? Why there is always endless discussion on Gujarat ' date= Modi but hardly any airtime for drought?

There has been coverage - look into the right channels. Here's a video on NDTV a month ago. rlbrvOJa8GE Another one 7 months ago tyQaQPl7jTA 10 months ago u8DWNxIvrr4

[Tiger80]

There has been coverage - look into the right channels. Here's a video on NDTV a month ago. rlbrvOJa8GE Another one 7 months ago tyQaQPl7jTA 10 months ago u8DWNxIvrr4

The issue require much bigger coverage than few minutes in news. Prime time debates, discussions should be held by English and Hindi channels

[jiggo]

And what Indian media is doing ? Why there is always endless discussion on Gujarat ' date=' Modi but hardly any airtime for drought?[/quote'] Right now Modi sells, positive or negative, TRPs start tingling when Modi is subject of coverage. Besides the mainstream media wouldn't dare intensely debate failures of Congress in the past decade.

[Lurker]

The issue require much bigger coverage than few minutes in news. Prime time debates' date=' discussions should be held by English and Hindi channels[/quote'] Is it a case of debates, or lack thereof, or non-chalance of the masses (I prefer the Hindi word udashinta, captures very well). Media today is a business, like everything else perhaps. They are out for TRP ratings. The days when Nehru and Bose started newspaper is long gone. At some point it also becomes about what the janta wants to see surely. Drought in Maharastra is no new news (unfortunately). People have been dieing for a while. Not sure if peple don't care, or have simply given up :headshake:

[Crookbond]

The issue require much bigger coverage than few minutes in news. Prime time debates' date=' discussions should be held by English and Hindi channels[/quote'] That has happened as well - one example on 25 March 2013. I understand what you're trying to say but media has picked it up. WFc_GoW9lzw