BELAGAVI: Farmers residing in drought-hit areas of Athani, Chikkodi, Raibag and Kagwad have warned of migrating to Maharashtra in search of jobs as it has become difficult for them to survive due to either drought or floods.
The farmers apprised about their situation to Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil during his visit to their villages recently. He was accompanied by Kagwad MLA Raju Kage. The farmers said their villages hardly received rainfall during the monsoon.
They said heavy rainfall in Maharashtra led to floods in their village through Krishna River. Lack of rain in their villages damaged their crops and dearth of fodder is affecting their cattle. Besides, there were no jobs in and around their villages.
The farmers said that this was the reason which was encouraging them to migrate from here and shift to the border areas of Maharashtra where, they said, they will get one or the other job which could help them survive.
Former Zilla Panchayat Member Vinayak Bagadi said that the financial situation of farmers was critical in the drought-hit areas of Athani, Kagwad, Chikkodi and Raibag. He said the government should take initiative by introducing some schemes for the welfare of farmers of those areas that can provide them income and help their survival.
Kage said he had already explained in detail about the situation of farmers in drought-hit areas to Patil, who has assured them to send a report to the government on this matter. He urged the government, based on the report submitted by Patil, to declare all those areas in Athani, Kagwad, Chikodi and Raibag as drought-hit.