Maharashtra: Villagers struggle in 16 drought hit districts

Mumbai,Feb 21: So badly are 16 districts in

affected by drought that many of the

are forced to migrate to cities to search for jobs.

The water shortage in the in the villages has now left them with no option but to make pavements in Pune.

According to a report by CNN-IBN, the migrants from Dhule in northern Maharashtra are sending a money order of Rs 11 to the chief minister in order to shame him into taking action.

"There is no water, no food in our village. So we had to migrate," said Asha, a migrant.

With many dams having gone dry reports suggest that 6,000 villages have been hit in 123 talukas in over 16 districts and have been declared drought-hit.

Although much has been promised, lots is yet to be done. While Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has promised that there will be focus on drought relief Union Agriculture Minister has assured the same. "We are not satisfied about the current situation of drinking water. We are trying to figure out a solution before the month of May," Chavan said.

As promises are yet to turn into action, the villagers are left in the lurch.

Oneindia News