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Work for article on, 2013 drought in Maharashtra

Geographical and physical impact

In January 2013, the government reported that 7,896 villages in Maharashtra were affected by drought. In a region near the Bhima River in Maharashtra, the years leading up to the drought in 2013 recorded below average annual rainfall: in 2011, slightly below average, and in 2012, the lowest since 2003. In May 2013, the lowest groundwater levels were recorded since May 2005. The low rainfall and ground water appears to have been worsened by improper water resource management. (Following the drought, the government focused on improving maintenance of dams, rivers, etc. )

With approximately 80% of drinking water sources in Maharashtra dependent on ground water sources, the drought led to a situation of drinking water scarcity in Maharashtra. The drought also negatively affected agriculture, decreasing production of staple foods, ranging from 5-21%, as compared to the previous year. This decreased production led to an increase in food prices across India and a decrease of India’s GDP by 0.5% (9 billion USD) in 2012.

Of 223 farming households surveyed, over 60% reported crop losses and over 20% reported loss of livestock because of the drought. Multiple farmers moved to urban areas in search in work. Others effectively used reserves of food, water and money to survive.

Government
The Indian government allocated almost half of its disaster budget to relief efforts. The Government's Empowered Group of Ministers provided INR ₹12.07 billion for relief, including 2,136 water tankers supplying 1,663 villages. However, due to increased numbers of starving livestock, a further INR ₹11.6 billion was allocated to the agricultural sector for scarcity mitigation, supplying water and fodder. There has been criticism surrounding the large quantity of water used to grow sugarcane in Maharashtra and the lack of regulation to prevent future droughts.

Non-Profit
The Yuva Foundation (formerly: Maharashtra Drought Relief Project) was a youth-led initiative set up by Soham Sawalkar and Aditya Sureka to assist in the drought response. They distributed food, water and fodder, as well as providing materials such as PVC pipes to install water solutions for villages.

In June 2013, Church Auxillary for Social Action (CASA), the humanitarian and development arm of Indian Churches, announced their plans to assist in the relief efforts by aiming to raise USD $264,504 from donors. This included the provision of livestock fodder, manure and seeds, agricultural and advocacy training programs, and raising water management and disaster risk reduction awareness.

References