Rajasthan is no stranger to drought. The country's largest state in geographical terms unfortunately always faces an erratic monsoon pattern that results in drought. At least four years of the previous Congress regime in Rajasthan led by chief minister Ashok Gehlot were severely hit by drought. This, however, hasn't improved with the change in the government.

The current BJP regime had to witness an unprecedented situation-floods in the desert – only last year.
The western part of Rajasthan which was reeling under severe drought last summer turned to a sight of deluge with the advent of monsoon. The onset of 2007 has not brought any happy tidings for the people of Rajasthan. Hail- storms caused havoc in many parts of the state.

So right in the beginning of this year, when the government announced that about 50 per cent villages of 22 districts in Rajasthan were drought affected, it did not surprise or shock anyone.

It's become a regular feature and the hard working people of Rajasthan have accepted it to be their destiny.
According to the January notification, over 10, 500 villages are affected in 22 of the now 33 districts in the state including the state capital Jaipur and divisional headquarters like Jodhpur, Ajmer and Bikaner.

Extreme weather conditions bring the parched regions of Rajasthan to their knees.

Millions of villagers suffer loss of cattle and crops while the blazing summer leaves their already scarce water reservoirs dry.

When one visits parts of the desert in summer, one hardly finds any able-bodied men in their homes.
For the men-folk migrate to neighbouring states with cattle in search of employment and fodder.
The migration figures are likely to go down in the tribal districts where the NREGA has been launched but elsewhere the people by and large have no alternative but to wait for the start of relief works or migrate to other regions.

Apart from providing employment to the drought-hit, the state government is trying hard to make arrangements to provide drinking water through water tanks, open cattle camps, fodder depots, assistance for goshalas (shelter  for cows) in the drought-hit parts of Rajasthan. In addition, a relief package of Rs 170 crore was announced in the budget session of the state assembly for hailstorm-affected regions.

The war of recrimination over drought relief also appears to be a permanent feature. The state government has complained to the Centre for not providing adequate assistance for mitigation of drought and hailstorm damage.
According to relief minister Dr Kirori Lal Meena, the state government submitted a memorandum to the centre for Rs 3200 crore package but the state government has only got an amount of Rs 100 crore. The Centre, however, has showed a more benevolent attitude towards states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and some other states which were immediately provided with funds. The assistance was to the tune of  70,000 crore, the state government alleges.