XI LOK SABHA DEBATES,   Session III (Winter) 

Wednesday, November 27, 1996/Agrahayana 6, 1918 (Saka)



Type of Debate: SHORT DURATION DISCUSSION (RULE-193)

Title: Discussion regarding  drought situation in Orissa.(Not Concluded)

TEXT :
 
1733 hours

Discussion regarding  drought situation in Orissa.	

SHRI BHAKTA CHARAN DAS (KALAHANDI):  I  was  thanking  the  hon.  Minister  of
Agriculture  for his visit to Orissa. The drought situation is very serious in
the State. As I have already said, out of 30 Districts of Orissa, 25 Districts
are affected by the drought. While the normal rainfall required in  the  month
of  July  is  351.6  millimetres,  there  has  been  only 252.3 millimetres of
rainfall in that month. Similarly, while the normal rainfall in August  should
be  335.6 millimetres, the rainfall that occurred in that month was only 307.7
millimetres.  In  the  month  of  September  -  a  very  important  month  for
determining  the  position  of  crops - in stead of a normal rainfall of 236.5
millimetres, the actual rainfall had been only 103.5 millimetres.

	The  number  of rainy days was 6.7 instead of 12.1 and in October, the
rainfall was only 51.6 mm having only 3.0  rainy  days  instead  of  131.6  mm
normal  rainfall  and  6.1  rainy days in the whole of Orissa. In October, the
rainfall has been very meagre.

	The number of villages affected by over 50 per cent drought, is 27,081
and the number of villages affected by more than 75 per cent, is 13,664. As  a
whole  40,745 villages of the State are affected by severe drought. Out of 314
blocks, 256 are affected by drought and out of 5263 Gram Panchayats, 3544  are
under  its influence. From this situation, one can imagine the seriousness and
gravity of the drought situation in the State. According to  the  estimate  of
the  Government of Orissa, the total loss of crops till date is 26 lakh metric
tonnes, which is worth Rs.991.42 crore and by the time the entire crop cutting
is over, the loss is anticipated to be Rs.2098 crore.

	As regards the KBK districts, the drought situation has been very much
serious and almost famine  situation  is  there  in  the  KBK  districts  like
Kalahandi,  Nuapada  and  Bolangir. There has been a drought in this region in
1936. In 1965-66, it was a famine situation and during that period the  famine
situation  in  Kalahandi and Nuapada had rocked the whole nation, the nation's
attention was diverted and the Central Government's teams  visited  again  and
again  during  this period. 

	Again  in  1986-89,  there  has  been  a  serious  drought  situation,
continuously  for  four  years.  During  this period, there was child selling;
there was starvation deaths, to the extent  that  2,000  people  died  out  of
starvation  during  this  period;  and  there  was mass migration all over and
people leaving Kalahandi, Nuapada  and  Bolangir  districts  went  outside  in
search  of  bread  and  butter.  The percentage of rainfall in 1986-89 and the
percentage of rainfall this year is the same.

	Sir, the geographical area of undivided Kalahandi is  11,000  sq.  km.
with a population of over 15 lakh, out of which 93 per cent is rural based and
totally dependent on agricultural produce. The district has a total cultivable
land  of  about  7,87,100  hectares,  out of which we have cultivated paddy in
1,83,460 hectares and the  achievement  as  regards  the  yield  of  paddy  is
maximum,  that  is,  30  to 35 thousand hectares. This year the achievement of
paddy in undivided Kalahandi is maximum, that is, 30 to 35 thousand  hectares.
So, you can imagine what kind of crop loss has been caused in these districts.
Out  of  2652  revenue  villages  and  766  hamlets,  2500 hamlets and revenue
villages are affected by drought in undivided Kalahandi which  covers  Nuapada
and Kalahandi.

	We  had cultivated cereals, minor millets, groundnuts, and other crops
in and around 2,12,800 hectares of land. Generally, the  poor  farmers  having
one  hectare,  half  a  hectare or two hectares of land used to cultivate this
kind of crop and this crop was cultivated  in  the  highland  area,  which  is
around 212800 hectares of land. This is totally damaged.

	The  crops  that  we  had  cultivated were vegetables, cotton, etc. in
2,10,000 hectares of land. This is also damaged to the extent of 75 per  cent.
So you can imagine what kind of crop loss is caused in Orissa village-wise and
block-wise.  All  the  thirteen  blocks in Kalahandi district and all the five
blocks in Goyalpara district have been affected by the drought. In the KVK  in
Bolangir  district, the entire 14 blocks have been affected by the drought. My
hon. friends from Orissa would  speak  about  other  parts  of  Orissa,  I  am
concentrating on the KVK region only.

	The average rainfall of the district that we need is 1378.20  mm.  But
there  was  only 1033 mm. rainfall in Kalahandi. From 1986-89 when there was a
severe drought, at that time the rainfall was 1043 mm. in 1987; it  was  965.2
mm. in  1988;  and  1053.3  mm. in 1989.  This time it is the same as 1033 mm.
Similar is the rainfall this time.

	Madam, last year, the rainfall in Kalahandi in the month  of  May  was
183.7  mm. but this year it is only 9.2 mm. In the month of June last year the
rainfall was 125.5 mm. This year it is only 89.5 mm. In the month of July last
year the rainfall was 472.2 mm. and this year it is 365.2 mm. only.  In August
last year the rainfall was 384.8 mm. and this year it is 377.1 mm only.   Last
year in  September, it was 194.1 mm. when there was a good crop.  This year it
is only 110.8 mm.  In October last year the rainfall was  84.3  mm.  and  this
year the rainfall is nil in Kalahandi.

SHRI CHATURANAN MISHRA (MADHUBANI):



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SHRI  BHAKTA CHARAN DAS (KALAHANDI): Madam, I am expressing the actual gravity
of the drought situation.  

	During the last Budget Session in the month of July -- about which the
hon. Minister of  Agriculture  has  already  admitted  --  I  had  warned  the
Government  of  Orissa  as  well  as the Government of India about the drought
situation in Orissa. At that time when the discussion was going on under  Rule
193  on Natural Calamity, especially on flood situation, I was the only Member
who spoke about the drought situation  in  Orissa.      But  no  precautionary
measures were taken in spite of that.

	Madam, the drought situation is so worse that all the tanks, ponds and
rivers available  in these districts are without water.  The water has totally
dried up.  The water level in these districts has gone  down  to  the  extreme
extent.   The  tubewells that are available there are unable to deliver proper
drinking water, you forget about the people taking bath in the village  ponds.

	During  this  season, in the month of November they are unable to take
bath for four to five days.  They have to go to very far off places  to  fetch
water and have to dig wells to get water and use it for bathing purposes.

	What  would  happen  to  animals and cows? Madam, this can be imagined
easily. As a result of which, migration from Kalahandi, Nuapada  and  Bolangir
districts  has started like anything. About 1,50,000 people have migrated from
undivided Kalahandi district and about  1,25,000  people  have  migrated  from
Bolangir district to different parts of the country. They have abandoned their
households  and their belongings. They have sealed their houses and even those
who are having 20 acres of land or ten acres  of  land  have  abandoned  their
households  this time and they have gone outside only to earn their bread. So,
what kind of a situation has arisen in this part of the country? Whether it is
a natural calamity or not, whether it has its own gravity or not,  this  issue
should be discussed in this House.

	Madam,  as  you  know,  it  is  not  for the first time that Kalahandi
district has been affected by drought and this district has been affected on a
number of times but no  permanent  measures  have  been  taken;  no  effective
measures  have  been taken. The Government at the State and at the Centre have
been so much callous. The monitoring agencies have not shown importance at all
so far as the permanent solutions to save the  people  from  the  drought  are
concerned. No such measures have been taken.

	The  livestock population is about 12,50,000. The drought has an equal
effect on animals. Acute scarcity of drinking water, non-availability of  feed
and  fodder  has already been surfaced. Whatever fodder programme is initiated
in the district is at the freezing  major portion of the
area is not taken care of. Those who are deserving  are  also  from  the  DPAP
blocks.  They  are  not  getting  this  two  rupee  kilo  rice. If the Central
Government does not have the fund, the Government of India should talk to them
and they should provide  subsidy.  The  Government  of  India  should  provide
financial  assistance,  at  least  till  the  next  crop is over in this area,
particularly to provide two-rupee kilo rice.

	When  I ask for the reply, I would seek the answer from the hon. Prime
Minister or from the hon. Minister of Agriculture. What steps are  they  going
to  take  in  this  regard? (Interruptions) I have already spoken to the Chief
Minister in the presence of the  hon.  Minister  of  Agriculture  and  in  the
presence  of the hon. Prime Minister also. I have spoken to the Chief Minister
during the Prime Minister's visit to my constituency. Madam, the  people  have
lost  their  purchasing  capacity.  That is why, this kind of a view should be
taken.

	Since the ground water survey of this area is over, instead of talking
of natural calamities and discussing it in Parliament, in the Assembly and  in
the newspapers, we can solve the problem.

	We can tie-up our programmes, make projects and solve these  problems.
The ground water survey of Kalahandi, Nuapara and Bolangir region is over. So,
we  can provide each village one deep borewell for cultivation purpose to save
the crop. Why can we not give deep borewells to the villages or the panchayats
which are not covered under any minor or medium irrigation projects? This is a
fundamental question. 

	Why should the people remain in drought condition continuously in this
independent nation when Government after Government is coming in the State  as
well  as  in  the  Centre? Are we going to discuss about the drought situation
again next year or after five years or ten years in this House? So, at  least,
we  should  be honest to solve the problems of this area which is continuously
and chronically affected by the drought. It has been visited by almost all the
Prime Ministers during all the earlier drought periods. We have also  to  talk
about   other  Ministers  and  other  Parliamentary  Committees,  Delegations,
officials of the Government of India, etc. in this regard.

	So,  I would particularly like to know whether the Government of India
can have a provision like this to have deep borewells for cultivation purposes
in almost all the villages of the worst drought affected areas. The minor  and
medium  irrigation  projects  are  neglected like anything. Due to the drought
situation, the late hon. Prime Minister, Shri Morarji Desai laid a  foundation
stone of a project, that is, the Upper Indravati Project, which would generate
600  m.w.  electricity  and  would  irrigate  about  2,50,000 acres of land in
Kalahandi. At that time, the  estimate  was  Rs.  232  crore.  It  was  to  be
completed  latest  by  1985. Now, 1996 is over and it is not completed at all.
The Budget has gone from Rs. 232 crore  to  Rs.  1400  crore.  It  would  take
another  five  to  ten  years.  If  these things go on like this, this project
cannot be completed. I must  thank  the  hon.  Prime  Minister  and  the  hon.
Minister  of  Water  Resources.  They  have  given  Rs.  38 crore this year to
complete the right canal of the Upper Indravati Project. But forest  clearance
is  still  creating  a  problem.  That  is why, the Government of India should
intervene to give forest clearance for this project.

	Then, there is Zonk River Project in Nuapara District. But there is no
branch canal at all. So, the Government should take steps and direct the State
Government in this regard. The hon. Minister  of  Agriculture  should  discuss
this  matter  with  the hon. Minister of Water Resources to provide sufficient
assistance to have the branch canal and main canal of  this  Zonk  Project  of
Upper  Indravati Project. The lift canal of the Upper Indravati Project is not
taken up at all. 

	The vast area of Kalahandi District, the main canal of Upper Indravati
Project is going along  but  the  Koksara  block,  the  Dharmagarh  block  and
Jaipatna  block, the three block major area, which is supposed to be irrigated
under lift canal of  Upper  Indravati  Project,  the  Government  has  totally
neglected  it. The lift canal work has not started at all. So, I would request
the Government of India to see that this lift canal construction  work  begins
as  soon  as  possible.  Immediate  directions  should  be  given to concerned
authorities for forest clearance and CWC clearance of lower Indira and  Suktel
medium  irrigation  projects.  It  should be included in the Ninth Plan of the
Government of India and funds should be placed for this from this year itself.
The Government have to take some permanent measures. I am  suggesting  to  the
Government  to  take  some permanent measures. If these measures are not taken
up, there will be another drought in future. So, some steps should  be  taken.
The  hon.  Prime Minister during his visit has said about the Lower Indira and
Suktel Projects. They are going to take up these projects. The  Government  of
Orissa  has  also  taken  up  these projects. But they have not considered the
forest clearance point and the CWC  clearance  point.  Due  to  the  technical
reasons, these projects cannot be included in the Ninth Plan of the Government
of  India.  So,  the Government should come forward and direct them to furnish
them within a week. They should include these two projects in the  Ninth  Plan
of the Government of India.

	I  will  suggest  that  in  the  border  areas  of  Madhya  Pradesh...
(Interruptions)

MR. CHAIRMAN (SHRIMATI GEETA MUKHERJEE):   Now it is going to be six o'clock.

SHRI BHAKTA CHARAN DAS (KALAHANDI):  Madam, this is about drought.  We  cannot
get a chance to speak again and again.  I am only making suggestions.

MR.CHAIRMAN:  Do not  be  afraid.    I  am  not stopping you.  We have already
decided that at six o'clock today we shall adjourn.

SHRI BHAKTA CHARAN DAS (KALAHANDI):  I can speak tomorrow also.

MR. CHAIRMAN: That is exactly what was suggested that today you start speaking
but at six o'clock we shall adjourn and tomorrow again you  will  be  on  your
legs.

SHRI BHAKTA CHARAN DAS (KALAHANDI):  Then I shall speak tomorrow.

MR. CHAIRMAN:  You have already spoken for forty minutes.  So, please be brief
tomorrow.

SHRI BHAKTA  CHARAN  DAS  (KALAHANDI):  Tomorrow I shall finish within fifteen
minutes because I am making only suggestions.

MR. CHAIRMAN: At least to complete your suggestions, be as brief as  possible.
In any case, somebody else will be in the Chair at that time.

	So, thank you Members for the kind cooperation. Let us adjourn for the
day to meet tomorrow, the 28th November, 1996 at 11 a.m.


1801 hours


 The Lok Sabha then adjourned till Eleven of the Clock on

 Thursday, the 28th November, 1996/Agrahayana 7, 1918 (Saka)