NEW
DELHI: Marginal farmers in Maharashtra are battling another cruel
drought. In Vidarbha, droughts have become an annual feature. Absence of
irrigation and efficient watershed management make small farmers even
more vulnerable.
Although schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi
Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar
Yojana or the Indira Awaas Yojana are not viewed as adaptation policies,
many agree they play an important role in making communities
climate-resilient.
Recent reports by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and others have found that the five states where MGNREGA
is effective — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, MP, Rajasthan and Sikkim —
have seen improvements in ground water levels, soil erosion and soil
organic carbon. The parameters were compared with 'control states' where
the scheme is not implemented. Apart from ensuring basic pay, ground
water levels and drinking water availability improved in the areas
studied.
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