Click to play videoMahbubnagar: About 56 per cent shortage of rains in Andhra Pradesh has triggered farmers' suicides and many are now being forced to leave their villages to seek work in towns.
"There are no rains at my place, there is no water, no fodder for animals, no body tells me anything and nobody looks at me," says a farmer Rajender Reddy.
A few months ago Reddy had sown maize and paddy on his seven-acre land. But his dream of a good harvest is dead and his parched fields will not yield any crop.
In Ramachandrapuram village of Mahabubnagar district Reddy is just one of the many farmers who have started leaving their homes for cities in search for employment.
"'I will go to Mumbai along with four-five others. I will work, if I get some, but if I don't get the work, I can't do anything," he says.
Reddy says he took a loan of Rs 1 lakh from private money lenders this year and now he plans to repay it by working as a construction worker.
Ramchandrapuram village has a population of nearly 800 people. But more than two-third of them have already migrated to cities in search of livelihood. A majority of those left behind are old aged people who are now expecting immediate relief from the government.
The village is now home to just old people who are too old to be hired as labourers
Bhagvantulu, who is 65-year-old and Janakiramulu over 70 spend their time clearing the fields.
"We have sown maize on six acres. We won't get our investment back. There is no feed for cattle and also no food for us," says Bhagavanthu.
Out of 23 districts in Andhra Pradesh, 18 districts have received scanty rains.
But the government has not declared drought yet. The situation is grim and 20 farmers have committed suicide in the last 40 days alone.
"We are very poor and that's why he committed suicide. How should we live now, we are worried now, you should help us. I have two small children," says Anuradha, widow of a farmer Raju.
Anuradha's husband committed suicide and now it's up to her to pay off their Rgs 2 lakh loan.
In Mahbubnagar almost every house has a similar story to tell.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
 |
 |
 |
|
More on IBNLive Right Now
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
