In search of greener pastures

The farming community in Telangana is a worried lot. With monsoon playing truant and costs shooting up abnormally, many farmers are leaving their old profession and seeking alternative means of livelihood.
Added to the severe drought condition, shortage of seeds and fertilizers, has made agriculture a non-lucrative occupation in many villages across Telangana state, particularly Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda, Medak, and Khammam districts.
Frequent power cuts and lack of proper marketing facilities have further pushed them into financial quagmire.
Telangana largely depends on monsoon and bore wells (ground water) for cultivation.
Expecting an early and good monsoon, farmers began agricultural activity about 15 days ago by investing a lot of money. But the delay in monsoon rains has upset their Khariff plans.
Normally agricultural activity is taken up in about two lakh acres in June in Mahbubnagar district alone. But this June crop has been sown in only 74,000 acres. If the situation continues, there will be heavy shortfall of agricultural a produce in Telangana this season.
S Venkataiah of Midjil village told TOI that due to power cuts and delayed monsoon, g farmers are even migrating to other states. "I own about 10 acres. But as there are no rains, my family hasmigrated to Mumbai to take up labour work," he said.
He said farmers hoped that the new state of Telangana would put an end to migration of labour force particularly from Mahbubnagar district. But things have changed a little. Another farmer Anantham of Gattu mandal said his family too had migrated in search of greener pastures as his farm had dried up.
Farmers, who have stayed back, are looking for divine help in tiding over the crisis as all reservoirs in Telangana as well as in the upper reaches of the river in Karnataka and Maharashtra are fast drying up. Water level has come down drastically causing concern to farmers and officials alike. Many reservoirs have water at "dead storage" level.
Many farmers are visiting Shiva temples to perform Abishekam, and also offering special prayers for rains at Narayanpet, Kalwakurthy and Amangal in Mahbubnagar.
On Sunday, farmers from different parts of Mahbubnagar converged at river Krishna at Bichupally and performed the Varuna Yagam, to invoke rain Gods. Last June, the district received 72mm of rainfall, but this year, the district received only 48mm, a shortfall of 40 per cent.