Worst Ever Drought in Telangana, INDIA

Telangana government has declared 231 mandals or revenue units comprising a varying number of villages out of total 443 in the state as drought-affected. India is predominantly an agrarian economy but tragically It faces the severe drought very frequently. A very recent shocking experience, in 2016, is that over almost a quarter part of country's population had to have the unmerciful brunt of drought.  The drought hit central and southern parts of India received rainfall of below 50% on average and most parts it was as little as 35% also. The tragic figure is that over 1500 farmers committed suicides during just one year 2015-16, as they could not cope up with the stress and strain of heavy debts, loans and burden of interests.   The heavy deficit of rainfall affected the crop yield severely leaving nightmares to millions of hapless farmers who know nothing but farming. Not to mention the plight and vows of Women... they had to walk miles in most parts to fetch a tumbler of drinking water from highly dangerous deep wells .  The lives of Scores of poor families had literally shattered. They had to migrate to cities in search of the day’s bread leaving lands and houses behind.  Thousand of cattle had be driven to slaughter houses with no way to make them feed. The scorching sun leads to the soaring temperatures that had left almost every well and bore dried up.  Drinking water -the very basic need of life – became scarce and precious in many parts. The Governments in Rajasthan and Maharashtra had to take extreme steps of supplying water through Railway tankers from distant places. The ecological balance gets severely disturbed and the terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity is also badly affected.  The rapid industrialization and depleting forest and greenbelt are also one, can be said main, reason for drought condition