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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Drought-hit Tharis wait for rain, government aid

By Jan Khaskheli
August 14, 2018

HYDERABAD: Since generations the rain-dependent residents of Thar Desert have believed in August 15 as the end of the crop cultivation season. In case of no rains before August 15, the practice is that the authorities following the Feminine Ordinance 1906 declare Thar Desert as a calamity-hit area.

The government then takes steps to provide assistance with food stock for humans and fodder for livestock to avoid any untoward situation. This year again the desert is experiencing the worst kind of dryness and vegetation loss, and people are waiting to hear any news from the authorities.

Despite forecast of rains, the desert has not received any rains as yet, except reports of drizzling in some places, which are not considered enough for cultivation or filling ponds for a long time.

According to local activists, who keep an eye over the changing weather phenomenon, timely monsoon rains before the month of August motivate farmers for crop cultivation and animal rearing.

Muhammad Siddique, who is working on renewing forest cover in Thar Desert through planting trees by mobilising communities and farmers, said, “Farmers can cultivate pearl mullet not later than July 15 and guar gum after August 15. Late monsoon rains after August 15 can only benefit livestock holders, who may see refreshing natural grazing fields to feed their animals.”

Thar usually receives monsoon rains during June and July, giving opportunity to farmers to prepare lands and cultivate seasonal crops for having food stock for their family’s consumption and fodder for animals.

The old practice was to cultivate major crops of pearl mullet and guar gum, and a variety of pulses just after monsoon rains till July 15-20.

Afterwards the sand dunes get covered with grasses, wild vegetable and fruit plants, attracting tourists, hailing from all parts of the country to enjoy the scenic beauty of Thar.

This year, the situation of food and fodder has turned bleaker, Siddique said. “Only some farmers can afford to buy wheat straw at Rs700/maund from neighbouring Umerkot

district for their animals to save their assets, while majority of people have already migrated to barrage areas with their animals and are staying there.”

People in the Thar Desert have experienced droughts in 2013, 2014, and 2015 during which the reports of increasing child mortality rates shook the world humanitarian networks into paying heed to the situation.

The cause of increasing child mortality was identified as undernourishment among babies. Mothers do not have required foodstuff to feed their babies and as a result many cannot survive, local activists said.

As per a recent, eye-opening report, a poor mother of triplets, after failing to breastfeed her newborn babies in Nagarparkar, sent her crying babies to a local government health facility. A small number of undernourished children are still admitted in Mithi district headquarters hospital fighting for survival.

It is an old practice among a large number of workers to migrate with their herds to the barrage areas, and work in the agriculture fields. They return after monsoon rains begin in the desert, however, they are reluctant to return this year.

Some families that left the barrage areas for their lands are again turning back to the barrage areas with their herds. Those who migrate annually are mostly low-caste communities.

They follow their traditional routes to enter the barrage areas for livelihood sustainability, and sometimes pay the higher price of unawareness under the pressure of poverty and debt trap. Reliable data on livestock in the desert is not available, but as per estimates it houses some six million animals.

Traditionally, the majority of big animals, like cows, camels, and donkeys were moved to barrage areas by the end of April and May, now it has changed due to the uncertain weather phenomenon. Migrants used to stay in the barrage areas till February and March.

To mitigate this situation and bring back a semblance of routine into the lives of the people residing in the Thar Desert, local activists suggest the government to prepare a seasonal calendar to predict rains, draw crop sowing seasons, preferred grains, time of migration to barrage areas, as well as to identify a stress season, when lack of nutrition may affect children.

They ask the government to ensure provision of food to the poor. Similarly, a comprehensive health package is another demand by the people, which carries different interventions, including nutrition, prevention, and a tertiary care hospital, effective basic health units (BHUs), and surveillance.

The rains always bring blessings for these people, who depend on it for cultivating crops for food and fodder for survival. But this year, the people are afraid of facing hardships due to increasing dryness and lack of food and safe water.