BELAGAVI: The continuing migration of large sections of rural folk owing to the worsening drought situation in the Bombay-Karnataka region is sure to show its impact elsewhere — at the polling booths. It is estimated that voting percentage could dip by as much as 12% in the region.
Majority of 55% of the state’s 21 lakh nomadic Lambani population in the Bombay-Karnataka has already migrated, another 8-10 per cent of other rural folk has headed elsewhere in search of jobs. According to Ramesh Naik, development officer of Karnataka Tanda Development Corporation, Lambanis migrate to areas of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa, and it is difficult to ascertain how many of them will turn up for voting.
According to official sources, rabi and kharif crops sown in 18 lakh hectares in the districts of Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri and Gadag have been totally damaged, rendering farmers and agriculture labourers jobless. According to initial estimates, crop losses in Vijayapura district are estimated at Rs 500 crore while in Bagalkot, it is Rs 1,026 crore.
Export quality lemons, grapes and other horticulture produce sown in thousands of acres in Vijayapura too may be lost due to the dry spell. Drought is staring at this region of northern Karnataka. The lakhs of hectares of dry farm lands are a stark indicator to the fact that farmers have no choice but to look for other means of livelihood.
Almost all taluks hit by drought in Bombay-Karnataka region
“It may be difficult to ascertain the number of migrant farmers and labourers from rural segments, but roughly about 12% from Bombay-Karnataka have migrated to neighbouring states in search of alternative jobs. Majority of migrants in Gadag and Haveri region hail from rural belts of Shirahatti, Mundargi and Ron taluks. Their absence could affect the average polling percentage in the region,’’ feels senior agriculture officer Manjunath Hugar. The reason: Acute water scarcity.
For those affected by the drought, the upcoming Lok Sabha poll is definitely not uppermost on their minds. For them, Congress and BJP are two sides of the same coin which have never come to their aid in times of farm crisis. With water sources drying up, drinking water crisis in the region is turning from bad to worse. Life is akin to nightmare.
According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad, district officials are entering into agreements with the owners of private borewells to tackle the water scarcity in most of the drought-hit areas of Dharwad district. “All taluks in Dharwad district have been declared drought-hit. Enough funds are available with us to tackle the crisis. We have opened control rooms in the offices of the DC, the tahsildar and Zilla Panchayat to help people,’’ he added.
Back-to-back drought spells in the entire Bombay-Karnataka region has forced the state government to declare almost all taluks as drought-hit. Water is being supplied through tankers to most of the affected are as, including 100 talukas in Vijayapura district, is not always adequate for normal everyday chores. And farming is almost distant dream.
But many in the villages of Gadag, Haveri and Dharwad districts narrate their daily struggle. “Whether it is a Congress or BJP government at the Centre, nobody has been able to address drought-related issues in our villages. How can we judge which party or candidate is better when we go for voting? This is a million dollar question,’’ says farmer Ramesh Kubal from Hebballi. The party which come to power must fulfill the assurances made in their manifesto, he added.
Chikkumbi farmers can’t grow enough to feed families
The impact of drought has been so severe that for the residents of the tiny Chikkumbi village located in Saudatti taluk, it has become difficult for many to arrange one square meal a day. “Back-to-back droughts over the past few years have made our lives miserable. Look at our dried-up fields in the village. We hardly get something to eat everyday,’’ says farmer Satyappa Vakkund.
He and other farmers like Mahadevappa Taplad and Gudleppagouda Abbiger availed huge loans from private lenders and cooperative banks for agriculture activities hoping for good rains after monsoon. Unfortunately, most failed to even grow small quantities of crops due to the sweeping dry spell. While showing this correspondent their dried-up fields, farmers said they were unable to produce enough foodgrains for their families. “A large number of villagers have already migrated. Most of the youths from Chikkumbi are away and are struggling to maintain their families which have suffered due to drought,’’ says Satyappa.
Though the government machinery claims to have been implementing rural development schemes to overcome drought in rural areas, including National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA), hardly any of the schemes have reached the villagers, say farmers in Chikkumbi adding that none of the works under NREGA scheme were being taken up to provide employment to them.“None of the villagers are aware of any of the schemes which are supposed to be implemented by Gram Panchayats. The officials never attempted to help us get the benefits of various rural development schemes being implemented by the Centre despite the worsening situation,’’ said farmer Mahadevappa Taplad.
Grape, lemon production hit
Vijayapura is one of the major exporter of horticulture produce from Karnataka, especially grapes. Owing to the worsening dry spell, grape production in all parts of the district has drastically fallen this fiscal, compared to the huge 2.28 lakh ton production last fiscal. “The drought we are facing here has been the worst in the last decade. The deficit rainfall and receded water table has affected the entire horticulture crop, especially grape plantations. We spend at least Rs 2 lakh to grow grapes in each hectare,’’ says Veeraiah Wandalmath, a grape grower from Devarhipparagi. Also, lemon, which is grown in 12,000 hectare in Vijayapura every season, was affected. Babu Ramanna who grows lemons in his land in Indi says, he is forced to spend Rs 4,000 every week towards watering due to lack of rains. The Central drought-review team has already taken cognizance of the situation in Vijayapura.