Date:12/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/12/stories/2006091204130600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Drought forces A.P. villagers to migrate

D. Sreenivasulu

Unending dry spell cripples agriculture in many parts of Kurnool district

KURNOOL: Record drought in parts of Kurnool district has had a telling effect on the labour market in distant Bangalore.

As half-starved families migrated in big groups to Bangalore searching for work, daily wages tumbled to Rs. 70 from Rs. 150 a few years ago.

A week ago, about a dozen families returned to Hothur, near Alur, after they failed to get work in Bangalore. They bought tickets for the return journey by selling rice and other provisions they had taken along with them.

About a third of the families have deserted every village in the Aluru, Adoni and Pathikonda Assembly segments. The remaining are getting ready to leave after Dasara. The faint hope of rain at the fag end of the season is holding them back. The unending dry spell in July, August and till now has crippled the agriculture sector.