	*NETWORKING*
	Carrying a torch to dark zones
	*INITIATIVE*
	Helping themselves Bank loans to harvest water Where there's a will,there's a way
	*POLICY*
	Watershed development: what next
	*TECHNOLOGY*
	Creating their own water world Simple yet effective
	*TRADITION*
	The dharma of water
	*FUNDING AGENCY*
	Netherlands Development Cooperation Programme
	*CAMPAIGN*
	Concern for common resources Schools efforts We beg to differ
	*DROUGHT*
	A stark reality
	*BOOKS/DOCUMENTS*

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Vol. 2 No. 6 December 2000

A stark reality

Table1: An overview of the impact of drought in Rajasthan
Status	Percentage Of Total Affected Villages	Districts
Severe	90 - 100%	Ajmer, Banswara, Barmer, Chittour, Churu, Doussa, Dungerpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jallour, Jalawara, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Karouli, Pali, Rajsamand, Sikar, Sirohi, Tonk, Udaipur
Worse	70 - 89%	Bikaner, Bundi, Nagour, Sawai Madhopur
Moderate	20 - 49%	Kota, hanumangarh, Baran, Alwar
Slight	1 - 19%	Ganganagar, Bharatpur

The complete picture of drought in Rajasthan has been mentioned in the district-wise girdawari report of 2000. The report highlights that fifty per cent crop failure has been reported in 30,585 villages out of a total of 41,528 villages. In 19,817 villages, 75 to 100 per cent of the crops have failed. Last year in 1999 the government had declared 23,406 villages drought affected in 26 districts of the state. In these villages, about 261 lakh population and 345 lakh cattle were severely affected by the drought. In 2000, apart from Dhoulpur which received normal rainfallall, all the rest have been affected. According to a government assessment, four crore people and five crore cattle of 31 distrcts of the state have faced this drought. (See table: 1 and table: 2)

(Source: Rajasthan Patrika, Jaipur, 30 October 2001)

Table 2: District – wise Girdawari Report
District	Total villages	No. of affected 50 - 74	No. of villages 75 - 100	Affected villages	Percentage of affected villages
Ajmer	1,056	143	906	1,049	99.34
Alwar	1,987	240	182	422	21.24
Banswara	1,472	0	1,455	1,455	98.85
Baran	1,216	199	204	403	33.14
Barmer	1,941	1,185	586	1,771	91.24
Bharatpur	1,392	1	21	22	1.58
Bhailwara	1,780	191	1,586	1,777	99.83
Bikaner	783	373	261	634	80.97
Bundi	863	364	312	676	78.33
Chittour	2,415	1,688	658	2,346	97.14
Churu	990	358	600	958	96.77
Doussa	1,060	489	479	968	91.32
Dhoulpur	584	Not affected
Dungerpur	871	0	871	871	100
Ganganagar	3,026	10	51	61	2.02
Hanumangarh	1,912	76	330	406	21.23
Jaipur	2,312	68	2,158	2,226	96.28
Jaisalmer	637	16	567	583	91.52
Jallour	712	46	666	712	100
Jhalawara	1,613	1,364	221	1,585	98.26
Jhunjhunu	865	534	331	865	100
Jodhpur	1,080	191	857	1,048	97.03
Karouli	799	696	76	772	96.62
Kota	937	339	22	361	38.52
Nagour	1,502	772	373	1,145	76.23
Pali	968	30	916	946	97.73
Rajsamand	1,004	31	973	1,004	100
Sawaimadhopur	800	503	76	579	72.38
Sikar	1,000	585	414	999	99.9
Sirohi	474	18	447	465	98.10
Tonk	1,102	7	1,095	1,102	100
Udaipur	2,375	251	2,123	2,374	99.96
Total	41,528	10,768	19,817	30,585