The Supreme Court on Friday directed the States to appoint food commissioners to oversee effective implementation of the Public Distribution System to tackle drought. Observing that the States cannot hide behind the excuse of lack of funds to not act on the drought crisis, the court directed that the mid-day meal in schools be given throughout the summer season in the drought affected areas.
A bench comprising Justices M.B. Lokur and N.V. Ramana told the Centre to set up a Central Employment Guarantee Council as provided in the statute and that the Centre should release outstanding funds for MGNREGA.
The apex court, however, refused to appoint court commissioners for implementation of the directions given by it, saying it is not disposing of the plea and will hear the matter on August 1.
On Wednesday, the >court said Bihar,Gujarat and Haryana were hesitant to even acknowledge, leave alone address, a drought or a drought-like situation. It pulled up the States for adopting an “ostrich-like attitude” towards declaring drought and driving their own people to suicide, starvation and mass migration.
In a scathing 53-page verdict on the “lack of will” shown by the Centre and the States in combating drought and saving lives, the court pronounced the Centre guilty of “washing its hands of” a national disaster that consumed one-fourth of the country.
Centre's Drought Management Manual
The Centre’s drought crisis management plan explains that relief measures must be implemented by the States with its active cooperation. According to the >Drought Management Manual, brought out in 2009, a drought is assessed on five parameters.
1. Availability of drinking water
2. Availability of irrigation water
3. Availability of fodder
4. Availability of grains
5. Energy sector requirement
In 2015, the Centre released a comprehensive >Drought Crisis Management Plan .
Read with the crisis management plan, the manual explains that relief measures must be implemented by the State governments with the Central government’s active cooperation.
The manual sets out four important measures that a State government should take at the time of drought, with the Union government’s help.
1. It should use the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to provide immediate employment to drought-affected people.
2. The public distribution mechanism should be strengthened to provide food and fodder as a measure to sustain the rural economy.
3. The government should initiate actions to recharge the groundwater table by building check dams and providing pipeline water and other irrigation facilities.
4. The government should either waive off or defer farmer loans and arrange for crop loss compensation.
(With PTI inputs)
