Mahadeva of the same village is in a worse situation. He said: “I pledged jewellery to avail loan to sow ragi and horsegram in my two acres of land and buy fertilisers. Now the crop has failed. Now it has started raining. Some people are sowing horsegram. But I am helpless. I have no money to invest on my farm. But I have a pair of bullocks, so I go to plough others’ land. I get Rs 300 per day as wages.”
The rainfall till now in the district is below average. So it is a drought-like situation. Farmers are left in a lurch.
The state government has included all four taluks in the district under the drought-hit taluks list. However, no programmes have been initiated by the district administration to help desperate farmers. People’s representatives and officers visit dry farmlands and get photographed, only to get publicity. The plight of the farmers continue.
Villages under Harave hobli seems to be absolutely drought-hit as water is not available even if one drills up to 600 or 700 feet to tap groundwater. People here might be forced to migrate to towns and cities for livelihood.
There is scarcity of even drinking water in villages under Gundlupet Assembly constituency.
The government should release Rs 1.5 crore to solve just the drinking water problem. Under prevailing circumstances, the government should put a check on recovery of loan and tax collection, said MLA H S Mahadevaprasad.
MLC C Puttarangashetty urged the district in-charge minister to convene a meeting of all legislators and people’s representatives of the district and chalk out plans to fight drought.
Additional deputy commissioner H T Chandrasekhar said the government has released Rs 2 crore for drought relief and the district administration was taking steps to help farmers.
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