Drought-hit Thar farmers will have to wait till April for relief work

After monsoon failure in September, people started facing shortage of drinking water and fodder for cattle. 'People of many villages have started migrating towards safer locations to get drinking water and fodder,' Mali said. Officials asked for crop assessment on September 15 last year and the report was submitted on October 15. The report revealed that Barmer received 128 mm rainfall this monsoon against the average of 275 mm. In 2,191 villages, crops have been fully damaged and 503 villages recorded 75% crop loss, the report said. In December last year, a central team visited the drought-affected areas in the district and took stock of the situation. On the basis of reports and recommendations, the state government in the first week of January declared 2,691 of the 2,775 villages in Barmer as scarcity hit. After the government's declaration, people were hopeful that relief work would begin soon. 'Government is preparing reports. When there is no rainfall, why doesn't the government start relief activities?' asked Mali. 'Now government has announced to launch relief from April 1. But how to manage our drinking water needs till then? Where will we go with our cattle? We are unable to cope up with the difficulties.' Barmer district collector Himanshu Gupta said the government has issued a circular announcing that drought relief activities would be carried out from April 1. He said government has planned two types of relief activities -- cattle camps and fodder depots, and sanctioned a contingency plan worth Rs 4.50 crore. 'Following the government's directive, block officials have been asked to send proposals regarding relief activities. The state government will sanction relief on the basis of the proposals,' Gupta said. Dailyhunthttps://justpaste.it/2o7et

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