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Famine stalks Rajasthan for the third year

Gearing up to face famine for the third consecutive year, the Rajasthan government Monday declared 30,583 villages as scarcity affected and suspended recovery of land revenue there.

The government issued the notification after receiving assessment reports on damage to kharif crops due to failure of the monsoon from all the districts.

An official spokesman said in Jaipur that barring Dholpur all the other 31 districts in the state are facing famine. Last year 26 out of 32 districts were famine hit.

The largest number of 3,274 villages have been declared scarcity affected in Udaipur followed by 2,346 villages in Chittorgarh, 2,226 villages in Jaipur, 1,777 villages in Bhilwara and 1,585 villages in Jhalawar.

Short term cooperative loans are being converted into long term loans in the affected areas. A ban on export of fodder outside the state is also being imposed, the spokesman said.

Around 41 million people and 51 million cattle heads are reeling under famine conditions in the desert state.

The government also announced it would start relief works in the affected areas from January 15 next year to provide employment to the famine-hit people.

Arrangements for drinking water in the drought-affected areas would commence from December 15.

The government will also petition the Union government seeking Rs 194.85 million in assistance. The state government has sought another central assistance of Rs 37.3 million on the pattern of Punjab to compensate the state's farmers.

A central study team is likely to visit the affected areas next month to recommend the quantum of central assistance.

Almost all surface water reservoirs in the state are dry and there is a scarcity of water in the canal networks of the India Gandhi Canal Project in western Rajasthan and the Chambal Canal Project in southern Rajasthan.

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