THE PARCHED EARTH

THE PARCHED EARTH



The advent of the monsoons always brings respite and relief for a billion and a half people in the Indian subcontinent. As the first drop of water escapes from the heavens above, the earth sings a song of joy orchestrated by the various elements in her band. It begins as a healing touch on her wound caused by the sweltering heat of the ever-jealous sun, and as it passes through different phases mother earth in a relative manner begins to show her bouts of mood swings.
Our life giver, in a more than subtle way turns her back towards her children. Rivers swell, crop-fields are invaded by the colossal forces of approaching waters, people lose their shelters, the young and the old are swept away by the unstoppable torrent and, hope finally gets drowned in the great moments of adversity. However even before an analyst begins to assess the collateral damages one fails to understand the totality of another calamity casting its ugly shadow across another region far from the raging waters.
Miles and miles of dry, cracked earth ruthlessly adorned with carcasses of farm animals is more than enough to show the rest of the world the abject state of mind of a farmer looking across the piercing blue sky searching for some clusters of cloud.
In India, the country for the past few months has been witnessing an accumulating disaster. It is pure irony that even though some of the districts in the remote eastern corners are flooded, some of the more interior districts in states like Maharashtra; Orissa; Andhra Pradesh and Haryana are waiting for the rains to save their lives. Acute shortage of water has led to starvation and dying of crops, thanks to the scanty rainfall and the callous attitude of the reigning governments.
It seems the rest of the nation has forgotten or to say, least bothered to give a thought about the horrors of famine that drought brings along with it. Since India’s economy is an agrarian one, 46-47% of the districts are now drought affected. Now the consequence of this one is building up along with the linking of the network of a chain reaction.
In Haryana, the state that has received 74%defecient rainfall is one of the worst affected. Because of this fallout, the farmers have no option but to install deep bore well at a hefty price of one hundred and twenty-five thousand rupees. Therefore, there is a tube well for every four acre of farmland, which adds up to almost two million tube wells for about 10m acres of land. On top of that, according to gravity research satellites of the National Association Space Agency (N.A.S.A) points out a sharp fall in ground water level and this is indeed alarming.
Before the accepted depth to set a tube well was set at 60-70 feet, then at 80-90 feet and then at 120 feet. The N.A.S.A satellite imagery shows 109 cubic km of groundwater has been lost in just six years (2002-2008) alone, which is twice the capacity of India’s largest surface reservoir, the upper Waingangā. This has resulted in sucking out billions of liters of water placing the farmers in a position whether to answer questions related to overall development or to their existence. Here prosperity definitely takes a back seat.
The suicide capital for the debt-ridden farmers, Vidarbha this year has seen more misery. The inadvertent failure of the year’s monsoons has added more misery for the remaining farmers and their families. Due to the government’s inefficient water management program has paved the way for utter helplessness for the people. Wild weeds growing in the canals say that water has not been flowing. Even the canals run at a height lower than the fields that are supposed to irrigate making it tough to lift the water to the fields. Corruption and inefficiency have made proper distribution of the remaining water difficult. The fields are drying up fast and dying at the same time, deceived both by nature and by man.
The onslaught of the drought has vanquished the sugar-cane cultivation resulting in a sharp fall in sugar production. Mr. Sharad Pawar, honorable minister for agriculture came up with an interesting blame game policy. The burden was put on a certain cycle revolving around the rise and fall in production and which cannot be predicted. To put the monster into the box in order to avoid any political controversy, Mr. Pawar announced duty free imports of white or refined sugar up to 1 million tones until November 2009 with no sales tax or VAT. The statutory minimum prices fixed by the centre for sugarcane has increased by just Rs. 2 from Rs.79 in 2005 to Rs.81 in 2009. The local industries of the states are contesting the higher prices fixed by the respective state governments. The agriculture minister has to answer to some definite questions.
The villagers of a certain village by the name of Pammur in the state of Jharkhand are seeking the President’s permission to die. The reason behind such a macabre request is that the village has not received enough rainfall to sustain their existence. The farmlands are dead and it resembles that of a battlefield. The villagers have no tears left in their eyes to express their acute sorrow and pain, and it seems to them death is more an honorable option.
To help the dying farmers the nation’s parliamentarians have resolved to contribute a meager 20%of their salary for the drought relief fund. To the farmers it would seem adding salt to their wounds on their torn skin.
One can clearly imagine with eyes closed the frail hands of a farmer praying before the Zmindars, government officials and above all to the God above to have mercy on them. He has seen enough miseries and pain. We have forgotten all about them who are responsible for bringing food on to our plates. Nature and man have cornered them driving them to take abnormal steps. Let us not hope that one day the race of farmers drop their ploughs for the gun.


GAURAV DAS