In Maharashtra, farmers and landless laborers struggling with water shortages are urging the government to establish animal shelters to ensure their livestock have access to water. Many are concerned that without intervention, they may have to sell their animals.
Following the declaration of drought in 265 talukas on September 25, the state government announced various relief measures, including the provision of fodder for livestock. However, local officials believe that the immediate concern is not fodder availability, which they claim is currently sufficient, but rather the dire need for water, as tankers are primarily supplying households.
Previously, cattle shelters have been created to assist farmers during droughts, with camps established as early as January in the 2018-19 season. This year’s request for shelters, starting in September, marks one of the earliest demands in recent years.
Sangeeta Gaikwad, a resident of Latur, recently made her second trip to the weekly market in Ausa to sell her two goats due to difficulties in feeding and watering them. As a landless laborer working on a local farm, she has relied on water from a borewell, which is now drying up. Gaikwad has already decided to sell two of her four goats, having purchased them for approximately Rs 14,000 each, but is only being offered Rs 11,000. She expressed her frustrations, stating she returned to the market despite low offers because of the challenges in finding water for her animals.
The Ausa weekly market reflects the plight of many farmers and laborers in drought-affected areas. Individuals with small landholdings are attempting to sell their livestock, while those without land are forced to sell goats in distress sales due to water scarcity.
At the same market, Suresh Kadam brought his two bullocks, Sarjan and Rajan, but is hesitant to sell them. He has additional cattle at home and explains that he requires about 1,000 liters of water daily, but cannot find sufficient sources amid the prevailing scarcity. Kadam’s five-acre field, where he planted soybeans, has yielded nothing due to the intense heat.
In Kadam’s village, Shelu, a water tanker arrives every few days, but the supply only meets household needs. Farmers across Latur, Beed, and Dharashiv are experiencing similar issues, prompting livestock sales at weekly markets.
In the Marathwada region, the government is dispatching tankers to various villages, with 295 tankers serving 157 locations as of Wednesday. Many residents are also incurring expenses for additional water deliveries, costing between Rs 800 and Rs 1,500 each.
The 2024 Livestock Census indicates that Marathwada is home to over 53.59 lakh livestock, requiring more than 24,000 metric tonnes of fodder daily. Officials from the divisional administration reported that the existing fodder supply could last for approximately 130 days.
An official from the regional animal husbandry department noted that, as of now, there is no immediate need for fodder camps in the division since the current stocks could sustain the livestock for 76 to 179 days. However, they warned that fodder shortages may become critical by December unless the Rabi crop season yields positive results. Meanwhile, there has been no official announcement regarding water provisions for animals.
Farmers have noted that while assessments to gauge crop losses began last week, there has been no similar effort for livestock. Local officials explained that these assessments, or panchnamas, focus on evaluating crop damage and the extent of loss, with each assessment taking about an hour. They anticipate completing this process in two weeks, after which further relief measures may be announced.
