WITH severe drought conditions prevailing in several districts in Telangana and no relief measures forthcoming from the state government, to assess the field level situation, a team of leaders of the CPI(M) led by its state secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram conducted a padayatra on April 3,  in Mahabubnagar district, the most severely drought-affected area in the state. The team conducted padayatra in five mandals of Kalwakurthi, Vangoor, Achhampet, Balmur and Telakapalli, demanding drought relief measures and prevention of migration. Due to failure of crops during kharif and rabi seasons, for want of not only work, but also due to severe scarcity for drinking water, thousands of agricultural workers and farmers have been migrating to urban areas, unable to sustain their families. For want of fodder and unable to sustain cattle, the farmers are selling them away to abattoirs for lower prices. As work under the employment guarantee scheme is limited, only a limited number of workers are provided work. For fetching drinking water, people are depending on bore-wells and are having to trek long distances. Unable to get remunerative prices for their agricultural produce, farmers are shifting to other occupations. Indebtedness of farmers is increasing.

Though the government has announced the list of drought affected districts as a result of several struggles, no relief measures have been taken up, Veerabhadram said. Normally, during drought situation, the government has to provide relief measures like providing fodder to cattle, food grains to the poor, drinking water facilities, and works for creating employment opportunities to prevent migration of people, he suggested. Though the financial year has ended, the government is lagging behind in taking up works for creating employment opportunities and spending funds earmarked for the same and in Rangapur of Vangoor mandal, payment of wages for works done has been pending for the last two years, Veerabhadram said. After Mahabubnagar, Nizamabad and Medak districts are facing severe drought situation.

Had the powers-that-be taken adequate steps to ensure transparency in administration and benefits of various welfare measures to reach intended beneficiaries, the drought situation would not have been so severe, the CPI(M) state secretary felt. For preventing drought situation permanently in this district, taking up of Palamur-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 25,000 crore is welcome, but then why is the government not completing Kalwakurthi, Nettempad, Bima and Koilsagar projects which cost about Rs 2000 crore, Veerabhadram questioned. Re-designing of projects and taking up of new projects are intended to unduly benefit contractors and a conspiracy is going on to swindle public money in the name of projects and schemes intended for irrigation and drinking water, he criticised.