Lakkashetti, a farmer of Harohalli on the Mysuru-H.D.Kote border, has not seen a drought like this in his lifetime. For, even the drought-resistant ragi, which requires meagre moisture, has failed this year.
Agriculture in parts of Mysuru and all of H.D. Kote taluk is rain-fed, but even in worst-case scenario — of scanty rainfall — farmers in the region manage to harvest one crop. But, that is not the case this year.
‘Future is bleak’
Though Lakkashetti invested in a borewell to irrigate his crops, he could not strike water even at 250 ft, and gave up. His sustained efforts only added to his mounting debt. “I took a loan of around ₹40,000 and with no income since two years, the future is bleak,” he says. Lakkashetti optimistically continues to plough his land, using a pair of emaciated oxen, in preparation for the “Ugadi rain”.
To maintain the animals, he has taken an additional ₹20,000 as loan for fodder procured from the market. “I will survive somehow, but how will the animals live without fodder and water,” Lakkashetti asks, while expressing no regret for the additional financial burden incurred on fodder.
Three-member team visit
Parched fields, failing crops and depleting groundwater table is a common template across the Cauvery belt spread over Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, and Hassan districts in the south Karnataka region, which is in the grip of one of the most severe droughts witnessed in living memory.
A three-member interministerial central team, formed to assess the drought situations, visited Mysuru district on Saturday. The team completed a tour of Belagavi and Vijayapura districts. On Saturday, the team visited villages in Chitradurga and Ballari districts. It is scheduled to visit villages in Dharwad district on Sunday.
As many as 160 of the 176 taluks in the State have been declared drought hit.
The relief work undertaken so far in drought-hit areas has been inadequate. For example, though three fodder banks were opened in Yelwal, Jayapura and Beerihundi in Mysuru taluk, they are grossly inadequate and supply is irregular. At Jayapura near Mysuru, fodder was last supplied over a month ago.
“The fodder bank has been replenished with stock in view of the central drought monitoring team’s visit,” said Madanaika and Siddaraju of the village.
The water trough is dry owing to scarcity, and there is no natural vegetation for herds of cattle to graze.
Distress sale
Further down in Hampapura hobli of H.D. Kote taluk, the situation has turned from bad to worse. A majority of farmers have given up on cattle maintenance.
Rajanna of Chikkanandi village explains that naturally available fodder is scarce owing to drought and the fodder banks supply an inadequate 20 kg a month. “Distress sale of cattle is on the rise, and most of them are sold through agents and are herded to slaughter houses,” he adds.
H.D. Kote is suffering from drought for the second consecutive year, adding to farmers’ distress.
During the preceding monsoon, 63,000 acres of land were brought under cultivation and more than 50% of the crop failed; in the rest, the yield was negligible.
As the local agricultural officials awaiting the Centre’s drought monitoring team explains, only 4,700 hectares were brought under sowing rabi crop this year, of which 2,250 hectares of horsegram and 745 hectares of ragi failed totally, the loss being almost 100%.
