No.30-4/2003-D.M.(CR)

Government of India

Ministry of Agriculture

Department of Agriculture & Cooperation

****

Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi

dated the 30^th May, 2003.

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Drought situation report for the week ending 30^th May, 2003.

          The undersigned is directed to send herewith drought situation report for the week ending 30^th May, 2003 for information and record. 

( S.V. Patil )

Under Secretary to the Government of India

Ph.No.23389453, 23383476

e-mail agrindia@krishi.delhi.nic.in

To

 1.                Secretary, Ministry / Department

Home, Finance, Expenditure, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Food & Public Distribution, Rural Development, Drinking Water Supply, Water Resources, Planning Commission.

2.          OSD to Deputy Prime Minister

3.       Cabinet Secretariat (Shri A.K. Dubey, Joint Secretary), Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi with 4 copies.

4.          PS to Deputy Prime Minister.

5.          PS to Agriculture Minister.

6.                PS to Finance Minister/ Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Minister/ Rural Development Minister.

7.                PS to Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission.

8.       Prime Minister’s Office (Smt. Pushpa Subrahmanyam, Director, Prime Minister’s Office).

9.       Sr. PPS to Secretary(A&C)/PPS to Additional Secretary(SB)/ PPS to JS(DM).

10.           DS(DM)/US(J)/US(P)/Guard file.

DROUGHT RELIEF OPERATION REPORT (as on 30.5.03)

Summary of Relief Operations:

                The broad parameters of relief operations reported by the States as on 30.5.2003 may be summarized as under:-

Transport of water & fodder by Rail :

Continued to operate in Rajasthan and Gujarat.  Transport of fodder is only in Andhra Pradesh.  The position for the week may be summarized as under:-

State                      Water (No. of wagons)                     Fodder(No. of wagons)

                             This week   Last week               This week      Last week

_______________          ________          _________                 _________     ________

Rajasthan                690               562                                  08                40

Gujarat                    210               132                                  40                93

Andhra Pradesh          --                 --                                    00                80  _______            ___            ___                                 ____       ___

Total:                      900               694                                    48               213

Andhra Pradesh needs transport of fodder only from time to time while in Rajasthan movement of fodder being generally from regions within the State and outside with poor rail connectivity, transport is mainly by road.  Gujarat is transporting fodder through Bharuch which has good rail connectivity – hence the large scale movement of fodder by rail in that State.

Movement of foodgrains:

          Upto 26^th May, 2003, the planned and actual movement of foodgrains in the drought affected States was as under:-

State            Planned for May, 2003                      Movement upto 26^th May, 2003

                             ( in lakh MT)                                               ( in lakh MT )

               ___________________                         ________________________

Andhra Pradesh                   2.25                                           1.31

Chhatisgasrh                      0.10                                           0.07

Gujarat                              0.45                                           0.32

Karnataka                          2.40                                           1.73

Madhya Pradesh                   2.30                                           143

Maharashtra                       2.15                                           1.32

Orissa                               0.60                                           0.38

Rajasthan                          5.70                                           4.64

Tamil Nadu                         2.50                                           1.40

          From the above it is seen that movement to Rajashan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are sluggish.   For Rajasthan, close monitoring is being carried out by the Department of Food and it is estimated that by the end of May sufficient stocks will be moved to districts having arrears of foodgrain component of wages.

Nutritional Status Survey:

          A survey  has been entrusted to the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.  Initial survey has been completed in Rajasthan while it is underway in selected districts in other affected States.

Overall assessment of Relief Operations in the States:

          The following important observations emerged from monitoring:-

Rajasthan:          i)          Serious backlog of foodgrains – virtually the entire allocation for May, 2003 is undelivered. 

ii)       Due to continuance of large-scale relief operations in the last few months, however, households benefiting from relief employment have adequate stocks.

iii)      The number of cattle camps and animals housed therein are stable.   Prices of green fodder have declined substantially while other varieties are stable at the level of April.  These factors indicate that cattle distress has been contained in the last few months. 

Madhya Pradesh:   

          Generation of relief employment has not been matched by attention to cattle care. 

Chhatisgarh:

          The magnitude of relief employment is not matched by relief operations in other sectors except in case of deployment of tankers for urban water supply which is, however, at par with the number of deployed last year indicating a chronic seasonal shortage in urban water supply sector.

Maharashtra:     

No indication of sever drought save in the rural water supply sector. 

Gujarat:    

          Severe impact of drought on cattle and in rural water supply, very subdued demand for employment indicating a high degree of food security in rural house holds.

Andhra Pradesh:

          Very steep rise in relief employment.  Stabilization in fodder prices and easing of fodder supply position as indicated by the discontinuance of fodder transport by rail.

Karnataka:

 Enhancement in relief employment.  No significant rise in the level of relief operations in other sectors. 

Tamil Nadu:

          Steep rise in employment generation and water supply sector – severity of drought in evidence in the last few weeks. 

Orissa:

          Very steep rise in relief employment with no concomitant rise in other aspects of relief suggesting that relief employment is more indicating of seasonal rise in demand than a severe drought.