This story is from July 17, 2016

Rain not enough to end drought

Torrential rain over some areas in the last few days has helped soothe the parched state, but experts advise that this will not end the spate of droughts.
Rain not enough to end drought
(Representative image)
Pune: Torrential rain over some areas in the last few days has helped soothe the parched state, but experts advise that this will not end the spate of droughts.
Those in the know point out that lack of rainfall does not necessarily lead to a crippling shortage of water, but it results from a lack of policies, missing drought-proofing infrastructure and lackadaisical institutional mechanisms.

"It will be a normal monsoon this year, meteorological experts and weather-watchers have proclaimed. But will that end the spate of crippling droughts that India has been struggling with? No, we say. Lack of policies, drought-proofing infrastructure and institutional mechanisms are factors that turn even a minor rainfall deficit into a severe drought. In fact, 33 per cent of India's districts are chronically drought-affected; ironically, most of them receive an annual rainfall of 750-1,100mm," states a note written by New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
"Drought in the 1990s was essentially the drought of a poor India. The 2016 drought is of a richer and water-guzzling India. This classless drought makes for a crisis that is more severe and calls for more complex solutions. The severity and intensity of drought is not about lack of rainfall, it is about the lack of planning and foresight, and criminal neglect. Drought is human-made." CSE's director Sunita Narain warned.
Suneel Joshi, state coordinator of Jal Biradari told TOI, "Though parts of the state have seen good rainfall, most of Marathwada is dry. Even if the parched area receives good rainfall the government and the administration must ensure that every drop of water is conserved. Also, it is important to decide the cropping pattern and curb sugar cane cultivation. There are lessons to learn from this year's drought and if we fail to do so, next year we will face a similar situation."

The study, conducted by advocacy group South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has observed that Marathwada region cultivated sugar cane, a water-guzzling crop, in face of drought. It claimed that if 50% water being used to cultivate sugar cane in the region was diverted to produce pulses, it would mean livelihood security for over 21 lakh farmers as against 1.1 lakh sugar cane farmers supported as of now.
Experts point out that there is no system in place with either the state water resources department, agriculture department or local self-governments to enforce water and crop planning decisions. Existing laws, such as Maharashtra Irrigation Act (1976), Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Act (2005) or Groundwater (Management and Development) Act (2009), that have clear provisions of restricting perennial crops in drought-affected areas, are not being implemented.
According to the United Nations (UN), there are seven billion people to feed on the planet today and another two billion are expected by 2050. It's estimated that every person consumes between two and four litres of water per day.
Most of the water consumed is embedded in the food people eat. For example, producing one kilogram beef requires 15,000 litres of water, while producing a kilogram wheat requires 1,500 litres.
"Drought is not about deficient rainfall, it is about deficient planning. Every year, the government talks of sustainable a plan to tackle drought and all these plans are washed away by the first rains of monsoon. Nobody is really bothered about water until the next drought" said activist Sampatrao Pawar. He added that the government must involve local governing bodies and other agencies to monitor water usage as well as cropping patterns.
As populations increase, especially in dryland areas, more and more people are becoming dependent on fresh water supplies in land that are becoming degraded and aren't sustainable.
Water security, like food security, is becoming a major national and regional priority in many areas of the world, the UN study report states.
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About the Author
Radheshyam Jadhav

Radheshyam Jadhav is a special correspondent at The Times of India, Pune. He holds a Ph.D in Development Communication, and was the winner of the British Chevening Scholarship in 2009 for a leadership course at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His covers civic issues and politics. He is also the author of two books on Mass Communication published by Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation.

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