CRISIS MANAGEMENT GROUP REVIEWS
DROUGHT RELIEF OPERATIONS
ABOUT
THIRTY TWO THOUSAND WATER TANKERS DEPLOYED
Deployment of about
thirty two thousand tankers, financed through relief funds and
additional transport of water by rail has brought relief to areas
of acute water scarcity in the drought-affected Sates. Organisation
of more than 2400 cattle camps, mainly in Rajasthan, Gujarat and
Madhya Pradesh and thousands of fodder depots have checked rise
in fodder prices and contained cattle mortality. This emerged
at a meeting of the Crisis Management Group headed by the Drought
Relief Commissioner here today.
For the week ending
6th June 2003, Railways undertook free transportation
of 799 wagons of water in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Forty wagons
of fodder were transported by Railways during the same period
in Rajasthan. In Gujarat, there was no transportaion of fodder
as the State Government has built up sufficient stocks .
The Department of
Food and Public Distribution has so far allotted 81.78 lakh MT
of foodgrains free of cost to the drought-affected States. Of
this, 46.90 lakh MTs have already been utilized by the States.
Railways have decided to increase the number of rakes for movement
of food-grains in Rajasthan during the current month and the next
month.Release of wheat locally procured in the Ganganagar belt
of Rajasthan is likely to improve the overall availability of
foodgrains in the State during the current month. The Department
of Food and Public Distribution has also provided 30 thousand
metric tonnes of feed category foodgrains to Rajasthan.
According
to the Drought Situation Report for the week ending 6th
June 2003, released by the Union Agriculture Ministry, delayed
onset of monsoon will slow down its onward movement entailing
continuance of relief operations and delay in sowing of Kharif
crops, particularly in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The responsibility
of management of drought primarily rests with the State Governments.
The Central Government supports the States in carrying out relief
operations through financial assistance, assistance of food-grains
and logistic support in other forms. With active participation
of the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Department
of Rural Development, Department of Drinking Water Supply, Ministry
of Water Resources, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance
and Railway Board, the Central Government has undertaken massive
drought relief operations in the severely affected States. The
Department of Agriculture and Cooperation is monitoring the operations.
The severely affected States are Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh,
Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil
Nadu.
