With low rainfall this season, the country is most likely to witness a drought situation this year.
Tackling drought must be the immediate priority for administrators across the country.
What is the rain deficit scenario?
The actual deficit last monsoon was modest, barely 10%.
But the post-monsoon rainfall (October to December, 2018) or PMR has registered a 44% deficit.
This national average deficit conceals shortages in some regions where it is much higher.
E.g. In Marathwada, the deficit is 84%, and in Vidarbha, 88%.
Why is it so significant this time?
The next nearest rains are six months away, and there is no guarantee that June will see the onset of a normal monsoon.
This low-rain and no-rain situation is going to aggravate the water crisis.
By April-May, this drought could be tormenting millions in several States, including the urban India.
Years of policy-driven, corporate-driven water transfers from rural to urban, agriculture to industry, poor to rich and so on have made the country-side chronically water-scarce.
But the failure of rains this time is so serious that ‘drought’ now means not just a farm crisis but a national crisis.
This is more likely to affect towns and cities no less than villages.
In urban regions, the piped water supply could falter and water cans could cost even more than they do today.
What does it call for?
There is massive waterlessness that has hit the country already.
It calls for addressing and being prepared for a drought situation, beyond the popular agrarian distress and farm-loan waivers debate.
There is a crucial need to address the water-starved, food-short, livelihood-broken, rural India’s agrarian distress.
The policy makers should thus make drought relief, water-use, food security and massive earth-related programmes an absolute priority.
