Continuing drought compels farmers to migrate

Kadapa: Following prevalence of adverse conditions in the present Kharif season as most of the mandals in Kadapa district have received very poor rain fall, it has become inevitable for farmers to migrate elsewhere.

The farmers are now turning house construction workers in the cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bombay etc and some are going to delta areas as agriculture labour along with their families for livelihood. This particular scenario is being witnessed in mandals like Rayachoti, Kasinayana, Kalasapadu , Porumamilla, B.Koduru mandals.

The villages wear a deserted look following the youth having left them for work while old aged people and small kids were seen despairing and in helpless conditions . Unconfirmed reports say that some people living in Tandas located at hillock areas of Rayachoti mandals are forcing their women into flesh trade.

Farmers in Badvel, Chinnamandem , Gopavaram, Pendlimarri etc mandals are shifting the livestock to slaughter houses after finding it difficult to provide fodder and water to the animals. Shifting of about 10,000 cattle to the slaughter houses in Badwel constituency in the last couple of months highlights the tragic situation.

The Hans India reporter visited Konduvari palle in Kasinayina mandal where about 5,000 acres have dried up since last two years due to lack of water for agriculture operations. A 50-year-old tenant farmer Vemula Kota Baludu of Konduvari palle said that he is attending house construction works along with three sons in Ongole by leaving his parents in the village.

“What will we do except migrate as there has been no rain since last 6 years. Under ground water levels have drastically come down and it is highly difficult to get the water even if one goes to 800- feet depth under the earth. I have invested Rs four lakh for agriculture operations in my six acres of land for three years by borrowing the amount from private money lenders. For rescuing our families we have no option but migrate” he said.

Another pathetic story is of Gurivi Reddy Rama Subba Reddy, a small farmer owning three acres of land of Middela village, now turned as farm labour attending Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) along with his five family members including two children aged 8 and 10 years respectively instead of sending them to school.

“ I have no option other than taking my children to MGNREGS as I feel it will better to do so as both my son and daughter each earn Rs 150 to 200 per day. I know that I am committing injustice on my children in that aspect but it is inevitable as our lives turned bitter due to drought conditions prevailing since last six years” he lamented.