Drought hits Gujarat villages as water becomes scarce

Rajkot (Gujarat) - Deficient rainfall has damaged crops here, leaving the farmers distressed as their animals are unable to quench their thirst due to scarcity of water.

The water bodies have dried up in Movaiya village, where about 80 percent of the 5000-strong population is in farming business.

The farmers complain that the state government has failed to address their woes.

Interacting with media persons here, Jasabhai, a farmer, rued that the farmers do not come under the Below Poverty Line (BPL), and demanded government’s assistance.

"There is no water left for drinking and we have no food to eat. It will be good if the government assists us otherwise we will have to leave this area. The government is not providing any monetary assistance. They are providing fodder to the people who fall in the BPL category and the farmers do not come under BPL. Other people come under BPL and they do not have animals. We farmers do not have BPL cards," Jasabhai said.

Meanwhile, farmers in Gondal and Paddhari areas have opened their farms for the animals, as they have lost all hopes of  rain this season.

Speaking to reporters, village head Maheshbhai Nathbhai Sudani, said that it was after 15 years that such drought had occurred and the brunt was being faced by  the farmers and the animals.

"Our condition is bad as we had grown groundnuts and the area is rain fed. It rained once in July and now even August 15 has passed and there were no rains.

The dams are also dry, everything is dry. Our groundnut crops have been ruined. Villagers have been told that we have fodder for 2-3 days so farmers took their animals to feed them with the remaining grass," Sudani said.

Scanty rainfall had made the lives of the cattle owners of the state extremely difficult as animals are suffering due to scarcity of water.

Most of the tube- wells and hand pumps in the area have dried due to dip in the ground water level.

Many states have sought assistance from the Centre to  make adequate arrangements to overcome water crisis.