File photo: Anandiben Patel
Hundreds of farmers in Gujarat are waiting anxiously for the monsoon, which is nowhere to be seen even two weeks past its due date.
The state government has braced itself for the possibility of a drought and is trying to ensure that contingency plans are in place in case rains continue to evade the state.
But for Ronak Patel, farmer who provides for a family of four by farming on one
bigha of land at Thol village, about 30 kilometres from Ahmedabad, time is running out.
The monsoon usually arrives in Gujarat by mid-June but this year, it is yet to make an appearance.
The family had finished sowing seeds a month ago, but the crop is yet to receive its first shower. A delay of another ten days would be disastrous for Patel.
"Last year, the rains were delayed. When it did rain, there was a deluge and our crop was destroyed. With no rains so far, we are on the verge of a crop failure again,'' laments Patel.
Uncertainty over the monsoons has prevented many farmers from sowing their seeds.
The 103
talukas in the state have received almost no rainfall in June while 145 talukas have experienced only 24.22 mm of rainfall this month.
The state's reservoirs are fast drying out; the 203 reservoirs in the state have a total capacity to hold 21,000 million cubic meter of water; currently, they are only half full.
Anandiben Patel, the new chief minister of the state, seems to have her task cut out.
The state government is focussing on conserving drinking water and saving fodder stock.
"Gujarat has a large cattle population so we are focusing on providing fodder for them. We are supplying fodder from our own stock. But in case the monsoon is further delayed, we have asked officials to zero in on areas from where we can produce or procure fodder,'' said Industries Minister Saurabh Patel.
The government has also decided to supply water to over 100 villages through tankers, but authorities are still hoping that rain gods bail them out from the current crisis.