Bundelkhand: Is the Journey from Despair to Hope Possible?

Introduction

IIn recent weeks several efforts have been made at various levels to draw attention to the conditions of extreme distress prevailing in the Bundelkhand region of UP. The State Government has already declared all the districts of this region (Jhansi, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Lalitpur, Chitrakoot, Banda ) to be drought affected.

The following report on this region is based on talks with the people in over 35 villages spread over all the seven districts during the year 2006 and 2007. This report is presented in five parts.

Part I

Present-day Situation of Extreme Distress

FOUR years of drought have caused extreme distress to people. The kharif crop has suffered very extensive damage. In village after village we were told by farmers that they were not able to recover their seeds. A huge part of the normal ‘Rabi’ crop has remained unplanted due to lack of moisture, rains and overall resources. In May we had reported excessive dependence on migration. This has increased further as waves of migrant workers have left after July, particularly after the Deepavali festival. Many village homes are locked up as entire families have left. Elderly people and many women who have been left in villages sometimes face very difficult times as migrants, with many problems in cities, are unable to send money back home. Even workers in poor health have migrated due to lack of earning opportunities here. Members of well-to- do farmer families too are forced to migrate. Now the migration is mainly to Delhi, Punjab, Haryana Gujarat and Mumbai and some cities of UP. Migrants work as construction workers, factory workers, brick kiln workers , quarry workers and hawkers. Some of them are in such difficulties that they can’t afford the expenses to come back home when they need to do so. Many of them work in hazardous and exploitative conditions.

Hunger and malnutrition exist on a massive scale. The overwhelming majority of people are living on staple cereal with salt and chutney. Use of pulses, vegetables and milk has declined heavily. Many of them can’t get enough of even roti and salt to be able to fill their stomach. Many of them procure only one meal a day. It is in these long term conditions of under- nutrition, chronic hunger and malnutrition that the debate on ‘hunger deaths ‘ should be understood. Several hunger deaths have been reported for example as many as seven in a single village Nahri of Banda district. A hunger death means that chronic under-nutrition and malnutrition have played an important role in the death as the weakened body also becomes vulnerable to many ailments. Defined in this way, many hunger deaths are taking place in Bundelkhand, more than what is reported.

Several hundred suicides of farmers and other villagers have been reported in recent years from Bundelkhand. It is a fact that farmers have suffered heavy damage in recent years. Indebtedness to banks and money lenders has increased rapidly to a level where there is no possibility of being able to pay back the loan. These farmers are unable to meet their family expenses which they perceive as most essential such as the expenses of marriages of daughters. In these villages families have been forced to postpone marriages of daughters. It is difficult for farmers to repeatedly find that not even expenses are recovered after working so hard in the field. It is in this context that many reports of suicides of families and other villagers as the well as reported cases of deaths caused by shock (sadma) should be understood.

Water shortage already exists in several villages and it is quite clear that a serious water crisis is most likely next summer. Farm animals, particularly cows, have been left to roam and fend for themselves as farmers just don’t have any fodder. Fodder and water needs of farm animals deserve a lot of attention. In Jigni village of Hamirpur district once prosperous farmers said that they have lost several cows and they are willing to give away cows free as they can’t see them dying before their eyes.

While the villagers’ needs have been at least been discussed, the problems of the urban poor are completely ignored. Issues such as deaths of urban poor caused by the cold wave should also get attention. After all, those who die in such tragedies are generally the rural poor who have migrated due to the distress conditions in the villages. In cities anti-poor steps should be avoided. On December 10 the tragic case of sale of two children by a rickshaw puller in Banda district was reported. This man, Govind, had earlier been earning well as a tea vendor and when his tea-stall was demolished, he was driven to extreme poverty culminating in the sale of the four-month-old Chandan and eight- year-old Shankar.

Part II

Causes of this Distress and Long Term Trends

WE asked many elderly people if they had seen such prolonged and serious drought in their life earlier and they replied in the negative. Even before this, such phenomena as untimely rains and very limited scattered rains had started. So much so that within a panchayat one part gets some rain and another doesn’t. The damage from hailstones has also been unprecedented as stones weighing over one or two kg (half kg were more common) fell and damaged the roofs of many dwellings. Near Jigni village a long stretch of land has suddenly erupted making very deep holes in land. All these unexpected weather problems may be linked to climate change. However, the role of local factors such as deforestation should also be emphasised. Forests across vast areas have been badly damaged in recent decades. Ecologically devastating mining practices have ravaged greenery and damaged water aquifers badly, apart from increasing land instability. Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides has played havoc with the fertility of land.

Water management has ignored the basic principles that recharge of water has to always precede large-scale withdrawl of water. With the arrival of hand pumps and tubewells maintenance of traditional water sources, including tanks and wells, was ignored. Tank systems, which had been preserved for centuries as models of water management most suitable for this region, were neglected, encroached upon, eroded and destroyed. At the same time maintenance of canals system was neglected. Canals remained silted, full of weeds, broken in many places. The irrigation needs of tail-end villages were particularly neglected while the influential and prosperous farmers in upper areas used muscle power and guns to grow even water intensive crops in situations of water scarcity. Sudden and unannounced release of water from dams caused floods and great loss to people in years of normal and high rainfall.

Large-scale corruption led to funds meant for development being misused on a massive scale. Check dams broke down in the next rains. Huge water supply schemes remained unutilised. Dams of highly dubious merit were constructed and even more suspect river-links were planned as these bring huge contracts while cost-effective small-scale schemes were ignored. Projects and constructions were completed hurriedly and payments made without considering how much the people had actually benefited. Even land reforms were marred by corruption. In addition the Forest Department claimed ownership of land which had been given to a large number of landless people. Some poorest and landless communities were most neglected. Big landowners not only exploited them but even took loans in their name. The entire system of development loans was reduced to a huge racket. Villagers were driven to taking unviable loans, paying corruption money in the bargain to middleman and officials; this they could never hope to pay back. This was particularly the case with tractor loans.

Thus all these factors were already leading to water shortages, deforestation, ecological ruin, poverty and indebtedness, hunger and malnutrition. So when a prolonged and serious drought came the situation quickly deteriorated very badly. On the other hand, if ecologically protective measures, good water management and good governance had existed earlier the extreme distress could have been avoided.

Sad to say, even after the drought situation started becoming acute cases of serious corruption continued to be reported from the PDS (public distribution system) and rural employment works, while mid-day meals and anganwadis (ICDS) functioned poorly at several places. Massive corruption in PDS has already been exposed at several places. The NREGA provided an excellent opportunity for providing relief to the people, implementing essential work like water conservation and avoiding distress-induced massive migration. Unfortunately the schemes failed to achieve these aims during the financial year 2006 -07. Only Rs 10 crore to Rs 25 crore was spent on the NREGS in each of the seven districts although each district needed and deserved at least Rs 100 crore each. This year there are signs of some increase but it is still inadequate. Large-scale migration shows how the aims of the scheme could not be achieved. However, it is good that in many places where we inquired, a wage of Rs 100 or near this amount was actually being given.

Part III

Good Work that has been Done in Difficult Conditions

HOWEVER, not all is dismal or depressing. At the official level, there are some signs of improvement. New schemes such as grain banks for the poor and community kitchens have been announced. There is much talk of a ‘Bundelkhand Package’ to make available more funds for relief as well as long-term development. Some officials have worked hard to speed-up relief and to check malpractices.

It is particularly heartening to see that within their meagre resources, some voluntary organisations have done praiseworthy work to provide protection from drought in some villages. For example, in Laxmanpura village (and two nearby neighbouring villages) of Madhougarh tehsil in Jalaun district, Parmarth has implemented a natural resources management project which has provided soil and water conservation works, bunding, and check dams in the village. After implementing this work painstakingly with the cooperation of the people, particularly women, in this village of Dalit small farmers, advantage was taken of a government schemes to provide Rs one lakh assistance for one tubewell. Four tubewells were taken up. The key issue here was that preceding this, water conservation and recharge work had been done to prevent the water level from falling. The result is that when there is no crop in nearby villages, Dalit farmers in Laxmanpura village are taking two or in same cases even three crops. In other villages there is large-scale migration but here in Laxmanpura there is no migration. People are actually healthier and better nourished. This shows what can be achieved in several other villages as well. In Manikpur block of Chitrakut district another voluntary organisation, ABSSS, has done excellent soil and water conservation work, construction of check dams, repair of tanks, creating new tanks at several places like in Tikariya, Itwaan, Managawan, Pushakarini, Kekramar, Harijanpur, Sukhrampur etc. These have been providing badly needed relief to people in times of distress. Its idea of low cost protection of natural sources of water for purpose of drinking water (chauhras) has been providing relief to the people, particularly Kol tribals, even in times of acute water scarcity.

People have taken up several initiatives on their own. From Mahoba district there are reports of initiatives of the people to repair and deepen old wells while also constructing new ones. Mata Prasad Tiwari of Meegni village of Jalaun district has planted nearly 15,000 trees (with some help from Parmarth). He hopes that 5000 trees will start yielding fruits within two years. Check dams in the same village have also contributed to water conservation. The media has played an important and useful role in drawing attention to the extreme distress of the people.

Part IV

What Needs to be Done Urgently

AS it appears most likely, Bundelkhand is headed for a serious water scarcity in the summer of 2008 or even before this, it is important to prepare a plan of action at the earliest based on reducing distress from scarcity of water and food as much as possible. Providing relief from bhookh-pyaas (hunger and thirst) to human beings as well as animals should be the central point of this action plan. As part of the package or otherwise, adequate resources should be available for this purpose. Allocation under the rural employment guarantee scheme needs to be stepped up to at least Rs 100 crores per district per year. Many practical problems that hinder the progress of this scheme need to be sorted out. As more resources flow in greater transparency has to be observed to ensure that the old corruption networks do not grab a big slice of these resources even in these times of grave distress. The relief funds given by the government should be adequate and it should be possible for the people to cash the cheques more easily.

The performance of the PDS, mid-day meals and ICDS should improve. Soil and water conservation works should be given more emphasis along with minor irrigation. If there is no rain, village tanks can also be filled using lift irrigation and canals to the extent possible. Some restrictions may have to be imposed to conserve water. This should be done in a decentralised way keeping in view the local conditions and with the involvement of the people. The schemes announced by the government to make available grain and cooked food to more needy people should be implemented efficiently and sincerely without undue delay. Authentic information about the most needy people should be collected with the involvement of the people and voluntary organisations. Goshalas and fodder depots should be set up to protect cattle. Combine harvesters should be restricted or banned so that loss of valuable fodder can be avoided and also more work becomes available to farm workers. Farmers and farm workers badly need relief from debt.

Part V

Alternative Approach for Sustainable Development

THE government needs to change some of its existing policies relating to water management, mining, agriculture , rural credit, forestry and industry. The most cost-effective and successful water management would emphasise giving a new life to traditional water sources like tanks. Many village wells can also be repaired and used again. There is much to learn from the famous traditional tank systems like those at Mahoba, Charkhari and Baruasagar. Lift schemes, which take river water to nearby villages, can also play a useful role. Soil and water conservation works, including construction of new water tanks, repair of old tanks and wells, bunding, etc. should be taken up on a large scale as part of the integrated watershed development schemes, which also promote social harmony. Some existing flaws in such schemes need to be removed. Organic agriculture and revival of traditional seeds should be given due importance. Bringing more greenery, forest protection, regeneration of degraded forest should be emphasised with the involvement of the weaker sections. Cottage industries can play a major role in providing alternative livelihoods. But the flourishing khadi cottage industry of Jaitpur (Mahoba district) was recently disrupted badly and over 7000 weavers (and related artisans) were rendered unemployed due to the activities of a few highly corrupt persons. This cottage industry as well as several others such as those in Mangroth village (district Hamirpur) should be revived. The stress should be on providing low-cost, accessible, improved technologies instead of burdening farmers with expensive machinery and debts. Many existing debts need to be cancelled or phased out on tolerable terms. Destructive mining practices should be curbed. Panchayat level plans should be prepared with the involvement of the local people, particularly the weaker sections and women, with the objective of securing the people’s livelihood in a sustainable manner, ensuring equality as well as protecting the environment.

It is true that Bundelkhand is passing through adverse weather conditions, but the extreme distress that exists today can still be avoided. The road from despair to hope exists, we have to start traversing it slowly yet steadily.

[Note: This report was prepared with the cooperation of Action Aid, Parmarth and Akhil Bhartiya Samaj Sewa Sansthan.]