Drought will be worse than in 1972, warns Sharad Pawar

Drought will be worse than in 1972, warns Sharad Pawar

Surendra Gangan MUMBAI

The drought this year could be worse than the one in 1972, as the rainfall in the next two months is not expected to make up for the shortfall this monsoon, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said on Saturday. Moreover, drought-hit states have recorded below-average rainfall, and their water stock has fallen below half the required average, he said. Alarm bells have been sounded by the central government and the implementation of the precautionary measures has started. “We have been in touch with the meteorology department, which claims that rains in August and September will not be satisfactory and can lead to a worsening of the situation in the country. Though satisfactory rains in the last four days have shown some sign of relief, the overall situation is still grim, and we should be prepared,” Pawar said. He said that the situation in central Maharashtra and Marathwada has been serious, as major dams have registered water stocks below the level of utility. While claiming that the central government has chalked out a plan to combat drought, Pawar, who leads the empowered group of minister on drought, said that their focus will be on drinking water. "Fodder supply and employment support will be the other areas where assistance will be given to drought-hit states. As part of the drought relief plan, we have decided to increase 30% of the budget to employment schemes in the state," he said. Praising Gujarat where the water stock matches last year's average, Pawar said that Karnataka, Haryana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh have less than 50% of the required water stock. "They have demanded financial assistance for farm ponds which will offer immediate relief to irrigation projects," he said. Pawar denied the claim that Maharashtra's irrigation performance has been poor in the last 10 years. "The allegations are political, and even the Central water department has reinforced our claim that the irrigation performance has been satisfactory. It has stated that the water accumulated through irrigation was utilised for drinking purposes and hence the performance figures have deviated," he said.