Nagpur-4 Feb 2010,
A list of 20,240 affected villages was prepared by revenue and agriculture departments and was okayed by chief minister Ashok Chavan on Monday, have covered all most all villages of cotton cultivating area of west vidarbha and marathawada ,this year more than 32 lacs hector crop in this rain fed area is under Bt.cotton cultivation which has recorded less than 40 to 45 % anaewari that's average yield of cotton in this area is less than 160 kg per hector that net crop loss more than Rs.5000 crore to the more than 3 million cotton farmers of vidarbha and marathawada forcing them in more debt and despair resulting in the farm suicides which is gloomy indicator of on going agrarian crisis of this region ,kishor tiwari of vidarbha jan andoan samiti (VJAS) informed in a press note today."This year crop failure has brought back the distressed cotton farmers at the same level of crisis ,as after loan waiver now their debt is almost triple and this expenses of Bt.cotton on pest control and crop management are all most double where as yield is less than 30% of last year ,hence the ground level situation in west vidarbha and part of marathawada are very critical as there is no work under NAREGA and all most villages are facing problem of water,fodder and food more over hostile condition of public health services are adding fuel in the crisis ,it's high time for the state to act " Tiwari added.
Now Once the state government declares a village ‘scarcity-hit’ villages , it is entitled to receive special assistance to meet the crisis but local administration is not geared up for the forthcoming crisis asthe damage looks quite well-spread across the state with the Amravati revenue division in Vidarbha reporting a maximum 7,241 villages in the critical zone followed by Nagpur division with 6818 villages. Aurangabad in Marathwada has 3,474 affected villages. These villages have reported a 50% or more drop in kharif output and have less than 50% of normal availability of water. Maharashtra has around 150 lakh hectares under kharif crop cultivation and 59 lakh hectares under rabi crops. The state’s rabi output fell by around 40% to 53%.The available water in dams and reservoirs saw a drop of more than 30% across regions, with Marathwada, Vidarbha, and North Maharashtra being the worst hit pockets.The state has 36,338 villages which predominantly produce kharif crops. The government estimates that this season, the kharif yield could register a deficit between 50% and 60% over the previous kharif season.
“The scenario is quite bleak and the ill-effects of a bad monsoon in 2009 are now being felt there food crisis among the distressed cotton farmers ,on economic front cotton will get income in next khariff season that's not before Jan.2011 hence crisis are very deep and relief is urgently needed.. On the farm front, more than 50% of the kharif villages in the scarcity zone means that Maharashtra will have a bad kharif season after a disastrous rabi output but none of political parties are even discussing the seriousness of issue that's very unfortunate"Tiwari said.
The state had declared scarcity and drought in around 230 of the total 353 tehsils during the 2009 rabi season.
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