JOIN USThe Central team touring the State to assess the drought situation has concluded that the drought in Chitradurga district is severe.
A member of the team, D Rajashekar, Deputy Advisor, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, New Delhi, told mediapersons in Chitradurga on Tuesday that the water table had depleted and borewells have dried up.
The team will recommend to the Centre in its report to roll out development schemes to alleviate the sufferings of the drought-affected, he said. He commended the officials for the drought-relief works taken up in the district.
The farmers at Sanikere in Challakere poured out their woes when the team inspected their fields.
“Drought has deprived us of the crops for the past four to five years. The team of officials comes and goes, without providing any relief to us,” the farmers said.
This year, the farmers said, they don’t have money to purchase seeds and fertilisers.
They have not even got the insurance amount for the loss of crops.
Women said the demand for the products prepared and sold by the women’s self help groups had come down, depriving them of the meagre income at times of distress.
Members of the Rajya Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene district unit said the Centre and the State governments had not taken up any relief works in the district though drought has prevailed for five consecutive years.
“What did the team that visited in December 2011 do with its report? Why did not the Centre act on the report?” they said.
At Yaraballi of Hiriyur taluk in Chitradurga district, the health officers told the team that 30 per cent of the residents were suffering from anaemia and malnutrition. Of the 210 posts of doctors sanctioned, 70 were vacant.
Demand for a permanent solution to the drinking water problem dominated the interactions that villagers had with the Central drought study team at villages coming under Kurugal Gram Panchayat of Kolar district.
The utter shortage of fodder for livestock was another major problem listed out by the farmers. They complained that they received a cold response whenever they approached the district lead bank for farm loans, forcing them to take loans from other sources at high rate of interest.