The drought
currently gripping India has already affected 330 million people across a
quarter of the country and with the relieving monsoon not expected for at least
7 weeks this looks set to surpass the recent disasters experienced in 2009,
2004, & 2002.Much has been written regarding this environmental crisis
however the disaster is particularly severe for the youngest in society; one
significant environmental shock can leave an irrevocable scar on a child’s
development. The key areas at risk are primarily the child’s health and
secondly the disruption to the child’s education.
There are
two key influences wrought by drought on any affected child’s life; income and
food, and changes in disease environment. Both the former and the latter are
also linked a third significant effect which is disruption to a child’s
education.In a country as hot as India drought is nothing new however due to
the advances made in healthcare and particularly child-mortality the drought of
2016 will almost certainly affect more children than any other.
The most
obvious impact will be to a child’s nourishment as lack of water affects not
only drinking but also food supplies. Rural areas are heavily dependent on
rain-fed agriculture for both sustenance and income. Villagers find themselves
in a dangerous cycle; as crops fail they have less income to feed themselves,
and also the price of replacement foods rises as wider-spread supply falls.
There has been a growing trend of urban migration for men in recent years
however the impact of drought conditions has also pushed women towards
metropolitan areas in search of work to supplement the family budget. As a
result children are left behind often to care for ageing relatives and sometimes
putting their lives at risk to collect water from far-flung sources in the heat
of the day.
With lesser
levels of sustenance and greater exertion comes the threat of disease and
infection as malnourished children are significantly more likely to succumb to
illness. To make matters worse a paucity of water often leads people to
drink whatever is available which is likely to be of poorer quality and
increasingly rife with waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera.
Children are intrinsically more likely to contract and succumb to such
illnesses as their bodies are still developing.
Drought can
wreak havoc on a child’s education as exams always fall during the hottest
season.To compound matters, as Indian education is traditionally geared towards
examinations (90% of grades are exam weighted),it is intrinsically the most
crucial period of a child’s school year that is affected. Furthermore, in the
face of such conditions schools in severely affected areas have been told to
conclude the school year early to reduce the strain on water supplies. The
smallest, rural schools are hit the hardest at a time when their pupils will be
sitting exams that could affect the rest of their lives as they seek highly
coveted places at the best schools.Once again, drought hits the poorest in
society hardest and sadly it is these children who rely heaviest on education
to provide them with a brighter future.
The crisis
has certainly not been helped by the misuse of existing ground water in for
short-term financial gains. Prominent campaigner Rajendra Singh has been
particularly critical of the water-intensive crops (i.e. sugarcane) that have
been grown in the worst affected areas. He has also noted that much of the
worst offending farmland is under ownership of the political elites. The result has been a 72% drop in underground water sources
across India, the highest depletion rate in the world.
Although
coming at a heavy price, there is one possible benefit that can be reaped from
such times; raising awareness for the value of water conservation. A number of
schools and local communities in less affected areas have undertaken water
saving schemes to benefit those less fortunate. Furthermore, it serves as a
timely reminder of the Swachh Barat (Clean India) movement, particularly how is
in everyone’s interest to clean India’s major waterways; the Yamuna and Ganges.
We can only hope that increased attention and awareness to such worthwhile
causes can be a by-product of what is clearly a humanitarian catastrophe.
Come Join our Green Earth ,Promote and Protect Environment Project .To Protect Place From Turning Into Drought . Let's Do It !
-Willam Lewis
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