Question

pahila dushkal maharashtratla

Answer 1

The 1972-3 Drought in Maharashtra

(as we face drought again, here is an article by Bharat Patankar remembering the last great drought in the region)

The 1972-73 Maharashtra-wide Drought

Some years had passed since the completion of the Koyna dam which was the basis for the all-round development of Maharashtra.   Electricity had begun to be produced from the water stored in the dam.   The campaign to bring electricity to the villages had begun.  An increase in industrial development also began to be felt; however the situation of agriculture in the Koyna-Krishna bank area was not felt as if “mother Krishna is flowing nicely” as in the cinema.   The situation was that that ‘mother Krishna is flowing nicely, unaware of happiness or sorrow on her banks.”   “Limitless water flows without a break; nobody diverts it for irrigating the land; how can this Ganges become fruitful to the lazy people?”  Such was the situation.  It was not only true for the Krishna.  It was also the case for the Godavari and Tapi.  Agriculture was still dependent on wells and rainfall for irrigation.  Aside from Mulshi, Rajewadi, Bhatghar and other dams of the British period and a few dams after independence, all of Maharashtra was like this.

The 1972-3 drought was general.  That is what was not simply in the traditionally drought-prone talukas.   It was not only in the rainshadow areas.  It was not only in the talukas with 300-500mm of average rainfall.  It spread to all the talukas of Maharashtra.  It was in the traditionally heavy rainfall talukas, and in the assured rainfall talukas.   In that period even big landholders came with their families onto the roads in 1972-3.   Only  those in occupations not dependent on agriculture were saved from this.   Tractors were not in existence then.  Farmers came onto the roads with their bullocks and implements.

This was a drought that fell because no crops came into harvest and no grain for food was produced.  One special feature was that  there was no great problem of a shortage of drinking water.  In one way or another water for drinking and household use was available.  Maharashtra’s Water…. Minister Laxman Dhoble compared this year’s drought to that of 1972-3, saying that the shortage of drinking water was greater then; but the reality was different.  At that time the machinery was not available for people to sink deep deep wells and borewells to finish off the ground water, and because of this the store of water underground was available with some labor.   Since it is not possible to live only by drinking water, this drought was primarily that of not producing other grain.

At that time the concept of fodder camps for domestic animals had not emerged.   Since grain was not produced, fodder was also not produced.  Only if there was some remaining old fodder could the animals survive.  A big movement was held of brining animals from the traditionally drought-prone talukas to the high rainfall areas of the Sahyadris.   Today the memory of those times is there in both places.  Under the name of “tagai,” there was a custom from  British times of giving fodder for animals and putting the price of the loan for this on their land records and recovering this with interest afterwards.  In 1975 we organized a huge struggle of drought affected people in Sangli district refusing this system of “tagai” and forced the government to begin free fodder camps.  Along with this the cooperative sugar factories were also forced to open such camps.   Those who have been given assured water for irrigation have, not as a favor but as a responsibility, the duty of caring for animals; this was the principle.   Today after 26 years the Maharashtra government has taken up even a worse policy than the British government and is taking 10% (for people below poverty line) to 25% of fodder price prior to the delivery.  It’s as if they want to finish off domestic animals.  They have refused to understand the calamity of drought.

The 1972-73-74 drought proved to be one that gave birth to the powerful and Maharashtra-wide movement of toilers.  The urban workers and employees also gave all their support to the movement.  At that time in Islampur (district Sangli) and Vairag (dist. Solapur) there was firing on the movement which testifies to the cruel heedlessness of the government.  Still themovement of the drought-affected didn’t stop but kept growing.  The times were tumultuous.   It was a time when highly educated youth also ignored their great future and came into the movement.  This was the drought of those times.  A strong unity of urban and rural workers took shape from that time.