BELAGAVI: The five guarantee schemes of the government may have helped a section of farmers wriggle out of the agriculture crisis to some extent, but migration to urban areas in search of employment has risen in various parts of the state due to the worsening drought situation. While the government struggles to cope with the situation, farmers are worried about the imminent crisis, given the poor monsoon and crop losses they face.
Already, several Central teams have been rushed to take stock of crop loss in the affected areas of the state. As per National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms, 195 of 236 taluks have been declared drought-hit. Of the 195 taluks, 161 are ‘severely’ drought-hit while 34 taluks are ‘moderately’ drought-affected.
The actual crop loss can be ascertained only after the ongoing surveys end, but sources predict massive losses, especially in the North and Hyderabad Karnataka region, where rainfall had been extremely scanty and a dry spell damaged most of the major crops.
Already, more than 10,000 people have migrated in search of jobs to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru from the drought-hit Kalaburagi region alone, said a top source, adding that the number could shoot up. The state government has expressed serious concern over the worsening drought situation in Karnataka and is focusing on the effective implementation of the MG-NREGA scheme to prevent people in rural areas from reaching urban areas. “Daily wage labourers will depend on work taken up under the scheme for their livelihood if the drought persists. There is a dire need to provide employment to as many people as possible, and ensure timely wages to prevent them from migrating,’’ said a top official.
With the drought situation turning grim, Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma has written to the Ministry of Rural Development, New Delhi, for a wage grant release to the state for effective implementation of MGNREGA. Stating that there is a possibility of a rise in the number of migrants, she said, “The main objective of MGNREGA is to reduce the number of migrants moving from rural to urban areas and provide them job opportunities locally. Because of a delay in payment of wages, labourers are unable to meet their daily needs and start migrating.”
According to official sources, the State’s Rural Development Commissionerate has already submitted utilisation certificates and annual audited accounts to the Ministry of Rural Development for the current and previous fiscal, with regard to the pending MG-NREGA wage component.
Sources said it was possible to face the drought situation to some extent through MG-NREGA if the Centre released pending wage grants immediately. The wage release due since August 2023 amounts to Rs 478.46 crore. The last wage grant released to Karnataka was on September 24 for Rs 1.55 crore for August and September, sources added.
However, in districts like Belagavi, migration may be very low as the sugarcane crop is not much affected by drought. According to Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil, a large number of labourers from Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states migrate to Belagavi district for employment. “Once harvesting of sugarcane begins in November, labourers from other states arrive,’’ he said. “We are requesting the government to enhance man-days under MGNREGA from 100 days to 150 days, to ensure good wages for the people. Already, Belagavi is giving the highest number of man-days.”
Farmer leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar blames the government’s unscientific policies for the agriculture crisis and the rising migration of people in search of employment. “Farmers and labourers are considered part of the ‘unorganised sector’ while government employees who make up just 2 to 3 per cent, come under the ‘organised sector’. Their every demand for an increase in salaries and allowances is taken seriously but the government ignores the unorganised sector. Migration from rural areas will continue until the government considers the unorganised sector at par with the organised sector,’’ adds Shanthakumar.
High migration rate in rural Gadag
A large number of migrant workers in the Gadag region returned home after the state government implemented the guarantee scheme but the delay in monsoon and prevailing drought forced many to migrate again to Mangaluru, Goa, Solapur, Bengaluru and Kerala in search of jobs in recent weeks. The MGNREGA scheme is helping some villagers but they say the wages are not enough for their family expenses. It has come to light that the migration percentage is higher in Gadag’s rural areas, where many villagers live in tandas.
A section of villagers says they used to get a good income through agricultural work every year but for the last two years, the situation has been grim, resulting in a rise in migration. In several villages, only senior members live with their grandchildren as parents have migrated. Many migrant labourers head home for Deepavali and stay with families for some time.
Ratna Chikkoppa from Ron Taluk said, “We are working in Mangaluru, and my husband and sisters, and their families are also working with us on a construction site. We get daily wages of Rs 600-800, which is good compared to Gadag where we got Rs 300-400. Free bus service for women has helped us visit our villages twice a month.”
Farmers want drought tag for Chikkamagaluru
Drought has led to the migration of labourers from parts of the Chikkamagaluru district. Never before have farmers here urged the government to declare the entire district drought-hit. However, there is an alarming shortfall in the expected rainfall, an impending drought, and a depletion of the groundwater table in the Malnad region. The government declared Kadur and Ajjampura taluks as severely drought-affected, and Malnad taluks as moderately drought-affected. However, solutions to this situation remain elusive.
Paddy cultivation is hampered, and pest attacks on areca and coffee plants are causing distress. Bhaskar is a small grower whose son left the village in search of work after their crops were affected.
KRRS district president Gurushnathappa said the situation in the plains is very serious, with people struggling to provide fodder to livestock. A drinking water crisis is also looming. He urged the government to initiate drought relief measures, including releasing compensation for crop loss, waiving loans and ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply for areca plantations.
Hassan: Farmers in crisis
As a grim situation prevails, all seven taluks have been declared drought-hit in Hassan district. It may be recalled that the government had initially declared only Arasikere as drought-hit. Three taluks were declared partially drought-hit, and Belur, Alur and Sakleshpur taluks were not on the first list. Eventually, the government considered all taluks drought-hit but is yet to take up relief operations and release compensation for crop loss.
As per statistics available, standing crops including paddy, ragi and maize over 73318.24 hectares were damaged, with the loss estimated at Rs 64.77 crore in Arkalgud, Belur, Channarayapatna, Holenarasipur and Sakleshpur taluks. Officials are yet to complete the survey in Alur, Arasikere and Hassan taluks. Channarayapatna witnessed the highest crop loss on 25,500 hectares. Rangaiah, a small farmer who lost his maize and ragi crop on two acres, alleged that officials are yet to visit for a crop survey and the government failed to protect the interests of farmers. Small farmers have no alternative livelihood and have to migrate to urban areas if the government doesn’t release crop compensation immediately, he added.
According to Deputy Commissioner C Satyabhama, the district authority submitted a report on a drought-like situation, seeking input subsidy to the tune of Rs 64.77 crore to tackle drought in four taluks. The administration will submit another report after the crop loss survey of the remaining three taluks. Migration in search of jobs was not reported in the district, she added.
Vijayapura: Preventing migration
After the government declared 12 taluks in Vijayapura drought-hit, the migration of labourers for higher earnings is expected to increase. “Most of the people living in rural areas, mainly Lambani tandas, are waiting for the Dasara festival to end, after which migration to other states will begin. Soon, over 60 per cent population in Tandas will migrate to neighbouring Goa and Maharashtra,’’ said Bhimu Lamani.
Lamani, a resident of Aliyabad village and a social activist said because of the prevailing drought, farmers are unable to employ local labour. “Usually, farmers pay labourers decent wages like Rs 400 per day, if the situation is conducive to take up agriculture. But when farmers themselves face uncertainty due to drought, how will they offer jobs to labourers,” he said.
Vijayapura Zilla Panchayat CEO Rahul Shinde said in order to prevent migration and provide jobs locally, the ZP has intensified offering jobs under MG-NREGA, and the government has increased man-days from 100 to 150 a year. The government pays Rs 320 per day as wages. “We have decided to give more employment to women and physically challenged persons,” he said.
Both Shinde and Lamani admit that while some people work locally for low wages, others migrate to neighbouring states and earn about Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 a day.
Udupi awaits migration
Udupi Deputy Commissioner Dr Vidyakumari K said as the influx of migrant labourers to Udupi from the North Karnataka region is expected to increase in the backdrop of drought, the district administration has instructed employers to ensure the safety of the labourers.
Labour department officials should make sure labourers are not exploited by contractors and employers, she said, adding that all required facilities should be extended to the labourers by the employers. People from Haveri, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Koppal, Bellary, and Gadag are expected to arrive in Udupi in search of jobs in the next few weeks.
Labourers move out from Kalaburagi
Though the agriculture department has kept the number of migrant labourers from Kalaburagi low, the district unit president of Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha Sharanabasappa Mamashetty said over 10,000 people have migrated to cities, especially Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
He said most of these labourers belong to the Banjara community and are from Chincholi taluk. Joint Director, agriculture department, Samad Patil said the tur crop, a major produce in the district, is in the flowering stage. Until tur is harvested, migration may not happen on a large scale but may increase in November.
Also, if man-days under MG-NREGA are not increased, more people are expected to migrate. Srikant Chouhan, who owns 4 acres in Ratkal thanda of Kalagi taluk, migrated to Mumbai with his mother about 20 days ago. He said tur and black gram crops were completely damaged due to scanty rain. Srikant is working as a construction labourer and his mother as a domestic worker, while his wife lives in Ratkal with his son, a government school student. “I want to come home for Deepavali but I have no money,’’ Srikant said.
(Inputs from Raghu Koppar, Thipperudrappa, B R Udaya Kumar, Prakash Samaga, Firoz Rozindar, Ramakrishna Badaseshi)