Senior Correspondent
NewsBits.in
Bhopal: Water crisis has deepened and starvation is looming in Bundelkhand region comprising districts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, a fresh survey by Swaraj Abhiyan – a civil society organization – has found.
According to the survey, 40% of the MP villages in Datia, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur and Panna districts of MP, have only one or two functional hand pumps as of now. Three months ago, 26% villages had this situation, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj Abhiyan told media persons on Thursday.
A ten-day ‘Jal-Hal Yatra’ (Water-plough campaign on drought) led by Swaraj Abhiyan from Latur in Maharastra to Mahoba in UP reached Bhopal on Thursday. Prominent civil society leaders like Medha Patkar, Rajendra Singh and Dr Sunilam were also with Yogendra Yadav.
Yadav said that survey of 109 UP and 63 MP villages in Bundelkhand region was carried out and it was found that only 18 villages were in safe zone in MP. Situation was better in UP with 55% villages have ten or more functional hand pumps.
UP was also doing better in terms of providing local employment through MNREGS (rural employment guarantee scheme) with 132% of target work done in month of April, while only 29% of people in MP got employment.
Starvation was also looming with reports showing that in 35% villages in MP, at least ten families are not getting food twice a day. The situation is worse in UP with 59% villages in such situation.
The situation is also impacting livestock. Reports suggest that ten or more cattle head perished in 41% UP villages and 21% MP villages.
Even in this situation, the response of both the state government is very poor as regards drought management. No special works were undertaken in 72% UP villages and 74% MP villages, Yadav claimed.
UP government has made some announcements for drought-hit areas, but MP government failed to do even that, he said.
