Centre not doing enough to tackle drought, says Congress

Party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi accuses govt of being obsessed with "self-publicity", ignoring 246 drought-affected districts in 10 states

The Congress Party on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government of not doing enough to help people affected by drought.

“India is facing its worst water crisis, and 91 of our major reservoirs are below 30 per cent of their capacity. This reflects a human tragedy with complete governmental apathy,” said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi, adding 246 districts in 10 states were drought-affected.

According to him, the Narendra Modi-led government is more interested in ‘self-publicity’. “They are more concerned with trains carrying banners of Modi,” said Singhvi, referring to the posters that were plastered across special trains carrying water to water-scarce areas.

He alleged that the parched Latur region of Maharashtra got two trains, while the water requirement was 100 times the quantity brought by the trains. Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh has gone without water for the past eight days, he added.  He also lambasted the Centre for not releasing the specific figures of expenditure levels released under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNRES).

Recalling how the Modi government first ridiculed the rural employment scheme and then adopted it, Singhvi said: “On the one hand, they are forced to admit the efficacy of MNREGS and Aadhaar; on the other, even the Supreme Court had rapped the government for the delay in releasing funds for the scheme, especially to drought-hit states.”

In times of rural distress, MGNREGS has been recognised as the most effective means of providing the healing touch, Singh said. “The Supreme Court is making the same point to the government, day in and day out. Shockingly, the Modi government has reduced funds for rural water from Rs 9,700 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 5,000 crore in 2016.”

The Congress has demanded that the government table a comprehensive white paper in the next session of Parliament, detailing the relief measures it has taken with respect to the drought situation.