Cries of dry earth in MAHABOOBNAGAR

(Courtesy: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/00may08/national.htm#3)

MAHABOOBNAGAR As searing heat wave sweeps across the sun-burnt fields, the cries of frail-looking naaramma pierce through the mournful silence of the village.

Sitting desolately at the corner of panchayat office in Kappeta village, the 70-year old agriculture labourer mourns the death of hope as her only son has abandoned her and migrated in search of an elusive job.

The warm words of a local official promising to include her in the old age pension scheme (Rs 75 per month) fail to enthuse her as she prefers death to the life filled with misery and desolation.

A motley crowd, gathered around her, recount how their village was facing unprecented drought with all the six bore wells going dry and entire crop damaged.

With no water and food, the villagers are looking up to the Government for help.

The story of Kappeta sums up the human suffering in the worst-affected Mahaboobnagar district of Andhra Pradesh where all the 64 mandals have been declared drought-hit and majority of water resources have dried up.

Village after village, dotting the vast stretch of dry land, present gory tales of deprivation, suicides by debt-burdened farmers and desperate cries for water, food and work. This perennially drought-prone district is known for its hardworking labour, mostly employed in the construction industry across the country.

With ground water table falling to an unprecedented low levels and no hope of good crop, over five lakh people are estimated to have migrated from this region during the current season.

Reeling under worst-ever dry spell, Mahaboobnagar now symbolises a life that is in perennial migration, seeking to escape from miserable existence wrought by nature's fury and human callousness.

Barely 10 kms away from Jadcherla town on the Hyderabad-Bangalore highway, gangapuram village stands shattered by the suicide deaths of five farmers who were driven to the extreme step unable to clear the debts from local money lenders.

A grieving Savithramma, the widow of a small farmer Sivaiah, says she was finding it extremely difficult to get on with the life.

My husband had borrowed Rs 40,000 from money lenders and ended his life in a fit of frustration. The monely lenders are now after me to clear the debt. How can I manage? Asked Savithramma with tears in her eyes.

It was the same trauma for Ramanamma ever since her husband, Seethareddy took his own life, unable to come to terms with the crop loss and mounting debts.

We had to sell off five acre land to partly clear the Rs two lakh loan that we had borrowed to raise the crop. But within a week of seeling our land, my husband committed suicide leaving us in the lurch, said Ramanamma who has a school-going son.

The villagers complained about lack of water, food and fodder. We have no work to do. All the crops are damaged. Nobody is coming to our rescue, said a village youth V Madhu Babu, seething in anger over callousness of the local administration despite receiving early warnings of an impending drought. (PTI)