M A I N   N E W S

Number of drought-hit states up
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 19
Almost half of the country is reeling under drought or drought-like conditions with the number of districts so affected going up to 246.

“Ten states have declared 246 districts as drought-affected. It comes to about 46-47 per cent of the total districts in the country. This year, there has been 29 per cent less rainfall. This has affected crops in many states,” Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said on the sidelines of a meeting with state food ministers here.

As the number of districts witnessing drought has been revised upward from 207 just two days ago, the government said its main focus would now be on saving the standing crop and offsetting some losses in the output during the coming rabi season.

“Our top priority is to save standing crops. For this, (all affected) states can give subsidy on diesel and power to save crops, if required,” Pawar said. “Punjab and Haryana have informed the Centre that paddy crop in these states would be saved. However, these two states have also said that productivity will be lower this time due to poor water supply,” he said.

“The Centre has also asked states to lift more seeds for replanting crops, if necessary, as it has about 15 lakh tonne surplus stock. The government is also laying more stress on increasing output during the rabi season,” he added.

“There is substantial improvement in the water level of reservoirs during the past over one month,” he added. The states had been asked to focus on compensating the production loss suffered during the kharif season by taking appropriate steps during the rabi season, he added.

If required, the government would not hesitate to undertake open market intervention and release of wheat and rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme to state governments. Addressing state ministers for food and civil supplies and sugar here today, he asked the states to gear up and put in place appropriate mechanism to sell wheat and rice to consumers and ensure a check on inflationary trend in food economy.

Pawar also made a special request to Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh to review the high taxes levied by them on procurement of foodgrain by government agencies. He also expressed concern that subsidised foodgrain meant for the poor people was not reaching the targeted population. He appealed to the states to ensure that fair-price shops functioned in an efficient and transparent manner.

Drought Diary
24 suicides in 40 days in AP
Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, August 19
Andhra Pradesh is in the grip of an agrarian tragedy following a spate of suicides by distressed farmers, particularly in the backward Telangana and Rayalaseema regions.

While the Congress government is still reluctant to declare the state drought-hit despite the adverse seasonal conditions, reports of suicides by debt-ridden farmers are pouring in from several districts. As many as 24 farmers took their own lives in the last 40 days following monsoon failure. With nearly 80 per cent of the state receiving deficit or scanty rainfall, the sowing operations have been severely affected.

Those who went for sowing had to suffer heavy losses due to withering of the crops. The suicide deaths were reported from Mahabo-obnagar, Karimnagar, Medak, Nizamabad, Warangal and Anantapur districts.

The main opposition Telugu Desam Party has said more than 70 farmers had committed suicide due to the drought conditions, a claim disputed by the government.

"The opposition is indulging in false propaganda and exaggerating the numbers," Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy said.

The farmers who had borrowed heavily from private lenders are the most vulnerable as they are not in a position to clear the debt because of the wilting crops. The state is also facing the threat of acute shortage of water, electricity and fodder.

The rainfall deficit is about 50 per cent in the state so far with only two out of the 23 districts receiving normal rainfall this season. About 80 per cent of 1128 'mandals' (administrative units comprising six to seven villages each) received deficit or scanty rainfall.

The state government has sought an assistance of Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre for immediate drought relief measures. The failure of monsoon could render several lakhs of agricultural labourers jobless and it is estimated that the demand for wage employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) will go up to Rs 600 crore per month involving nearly 35 lakh labourers.

The farmers’ deaths brought back memories of the worst farm crisis that shook the state during 1997-2004 when the Telugu Desam Party was in power.