For the Odisha Government, here is a warning bell. A big drought in 2015 in Odisha and the conspicuous sprouting up of the Maharashtra syndrome in western and southern districts in the State could foresee a gargantuan crisis in near future.
For, mere survival, a whopping 70 per cent of families in the impoverished districts were found to have obtained loan from money lenders at an interest rate hovering a high of around 36-40 per cent to meet their two square meals and other basic necessities.
Interestingly, when the State Government washed off its hand post the announcement of some lollipops to farmers in the garb of input subsidy and some MGNREGA concessions, the Maharashtra syndrome of selling bullock by farmers gripped at least one district in Odisha acutely.
Farmers in Nuapada resorted to distress selling of bullocks and goats that saw plummeting of livestock prices sharply. They did it just to have some liquid cash in hand to tide over the gripping hunger there.
But this is not an exclusive case in Odisha. An Action Aid survey on drought impact in Odisha, which was released recently, flips up the lid of prevailing hunger scenario gripping the State acutely. Households in the surveyed districts are surprisingly thriving on forest tubers and leaves!
“A study done by Action Aid in seven impoverished and drought affected districts like Bargarh, Balangir, Sundergarh, Kandhmal, Ganjam and Koraput reveals that a whopping 70 per cent of the required food intake per household was at stake as many households have not received PDS supply since February last, courtesy the mess in ration cards distribution”, observed Debabrata Patra, regional manager, Action Aid. He added that small and marginal farmers could barely meet 30 per cent of the daily food requirement as the produced rice and millets lasted for only two months.
The study has more horrific signals. It finds a change in food consumption pattern in the surveyed districts, which highlights the failure of Government schemes like PDS and other social welfare schemes.
“In 70 per cent of households, there has been a significant change in food consumption. The side effect is people couldn’t take up MGNREGA works despite having job cards as they couldn’t afford for the hard works in almost empty stomach,” explained B N Durga, Programme Officer, Action Aid. This implies how food crisis is creating forced joblessness in drought-hit districts in Odisha.
“People in villages in Koraput district hardly meet their food requirements as forest tubers, leaves, and edible flowers like Mahua, Chahar and Kendu production was down by almost 60 per cent. Since earlier these forest produces contributed over 30 per cent of daily food requirements, the situation looks grave now as even the normal PDS supply does not suffice their daily food requirement,” the study report outlined.