Rajasthan, the most arid state of the country is home to the India’s largest desert-the Thar. Rajasthan currently is facing drought-plagued conditions in various districts. Out of 33 districts in the state, 19 are under water scarcity. The ‘Waterman’ Rajendra Singh told that if such conditions continue to be the same, Rajasthan will end up creating one more desert- the famous Bundelkhand.
Yes, the Bundelkhand region of the state has lately dried up to an extent that it is on its way to become another Rajasthan desert. Rajendra sings in his interaction with IANS, said, “Large parts of Rajasthan are desert because of sand. But Bundelkhand region is becoming a desert because of its circumstances. The farmland here is fast getting silted up, which means earth is losing its capacity to grow crops.”
He added, “Rivers are turning into stretches of rocky terrain, lakes have no water either, and the young are fleeing the region in search of work.”
He also told that this time, drought has not only affected the poor and innocent animals but has made widespread despondency. He said, “But the Madhya Pradesh government has been indifferent to the drought and famine that now affects Bundelkhand. There is neither any supply of water through tankers, nor supply of food through the ration shops. Rain has indeed fallen in the last three years, but rainwater has not been retained.”
Stating that if proper measures are taken into consideration, there are chances that we can still save the Bundelkhand region, he said, “The monsoon season is upon us. Every drop of rain that falls needs to be retained. There should be an effort to revive rivers, to deepen the lakes, and to dig new lakes. If we manage to get going with these efforts before the rains start, we may well have prevented the drought.”
