The spectre of near drought-like situation looms large on the drought-prone Palamu. There has been no rainfall in the area for more than a month. The top level soil has lost moisture. Cracks have appeared in the fields. Farmers are worried.
Ram Pukar, a farmer, said, “This is bhadu (a Hindi month for rains) and the rains are no where around. The sky is all clear.” This farmer said days are not far off when there will be distress sale of cattle, goat and even land by marginal farmers or landless poor.
The sun is too hot and more scorching than the summer. With no rains, the sale of umbrella has gone down by 80%. Palamu has a fair market of sale of umbrellas, but this season the sale is most dismal.
Sources said farmers in Palamu Garhwa districts arrange a bizarre marriage to appease the goddess of rains. It is the marriage of frogs. A belief goes here that if frogs are married, rains surely come.