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After the floods of
1982 and 1983, a severe drought had been sweeping through Gujarat
for the last 3 years. A few other states were also effected but
to a lesser degree. It was this century’s worst famine and the
third successive famine this year, which had taken a heavy toll
of life, especially livestock.
The
Damage
- 17 of the total 19 districts,
15,000 of the total 18,000 villages in Gujarat reeled under
the curse of drought.
- Out of 107.46 lakh hectares
of cultivable land, 71 lakh hectares produced nothing.
- Crop failures to farmers were
estimated at Rs.2,750 crores.
- Of the 34 million cattle in
Gujarat, some 18 million died before the rains arrived in
1988.
The
Relief Operation
To help the victims
of the famine, the Sanstha started distribution of buttermilk,
food grains, nutritious biscuits and clothes.
Buttermilk
Distribution
Every day, a total of 195 centers served buttermilk to an estimated
150,000 drought stricken people. The hardest effected areas, were
the maximum distribution was made were the districts of Jamnagar,
Junagadh and Rajkot.
|
Area
|
Distribution
(Litres)
|
Area
|
Distribution
(Litres)
|
|
Jamnagar
|
6,135,000
|
Surendranagar
|
450,000
|
|
Rajkot
|
2,718,000
|
Amdavad
|
415,000
|
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Junagadh
|
1,518,000
|
Bharuch / Panchmahal
|
198,000
|
|
Bhavnagar
|
1,009,800
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Sabarkantha
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175,000
|
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Baroda
|
525,000
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Total
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13,143,800
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A total of 13,143,800
litres of buttermilk was distributed free during the famine.
Grain
Distribution
A total of 284,800 kg. of food grains were distributed in all
the effected villages.
|
Area
|
Distribution
(Kg.)
|
Area
|
Distribution
(Kg.)
|
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Jamnagar
|
85,000
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Surendranagar
|
10,000
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Rajkot
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66,000
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Bhavnagar
|
6,000
|
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Junagadh
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46,000
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Amdavad
|
7,300
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Sabarkantha
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10,000
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Others
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54,500
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Helping
Animals
It is the livestock that is first affected in times of drought.
The 3 consecutive dry monsoons resulted in shortage in grass and
fodder for cattle. The Gujarat Government declared that of the
34 million cattle some 18 million died before the rains arrived
in 1988! Pictures of helpless dying cattle eaten alive by stray
dogs paralysed thousands around the country. The regions of Kutch
and Saurashtra were at the centre of the most devastating famine
in the history of Gujarat.
In response to the
plight of the cattle owners, Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj
initially set up a cattle camp in Dangara (near Rajkot) in September
1987. 350 drought stricken cattle were looked after with shelter,
medication, water and plenty of fodder.
On 17th
October 1987, 4 scientific cattle camps were inaugurated to support
more than 6,000 dying cattle for 8 months. Cattle were brought
to the camps from the famine areas by truck. The sight was saddening.
Healthy bulls and oxen were transformed into just skin and bones
within months. Some could not even stand and had to be carried
off the trucks. The saints and volunteers had a hard task before
them.
- A total of 21 Kg. of fodder
was consumed by a single cattle-head in a single day. This
means, the Sanstha provided 130,750 Kg. of fodder everyday,
a colossal 31 million kilograms to last 8 months for the 4
cattle camps. All the 4 camps had a minimum 15-day stock of
fodder.
- On average each head of cattle
consumed roughly 30 litres of water in a single day. With
4 cattle camps, this meant providing 186,300 litres a day,
a colossal 45 million litres of water to last 8 months. To
meet the heavy consumption, tube wells for water were sunk
in all 4 camps. Water was stored in massive storage tanks.
In case of power failure, generators were kept ready to replenish
the water tanks.
- Before each cattle-head was
admitted into the camp, they were given a thorough medical
check-up. All were vaccinated for foot and mouth disease and
cowpox. With so many cattle, we could not risk an epidemic.
Every four to six days, small amounts of potassium permanganate
were added to the drinking water to help rid the animal of
minor infections. Major operations were also carried out in
the special sickbay made for the cattle in the camps.
The
table below shows details regarding the Cattle Camps set up by
the Sanstha.
|
Camp
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Area
(Acres)
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Animals
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Daily Fodder
Consumption (Kg.)
|
Daily Water
Consumption (Lt.)
|
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Bochasan
(Kheda)
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15
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2,577
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54,500
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77,300
|
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Bhavanpura
(Kheda)
|
7
|
1,527
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32,000
|
45,800
|
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Atladara
(Baroda)
|
10
|
1,357
|
28,500
|
40,700
|
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Sankari (Surat)
|
75
|
749
|
15,750
|
22,500
|
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Total
|
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6,210
|
130,750
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186,300
|
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Note: 250 cattle were also
looked after at our Gaushalas in Sarangpur and Gadhada.
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In addition, 31,295,000
kg. of hay was distributed to cattle that could not be brought
to the camps.
For 8 months, the Sanstha
cared for 6,210 heads of cattle alongwith their owners, taking
into consideration the most minute of details. As the rains approached,
it was time to send the oxen and cattle back, ready to plough
the fields. And ready they were. Trucks were called and the cattle
were loaded. Some refused to climb the ramp, as if they did not
want to leave. The owners themselves could not hold their tears
back. The Sanstha had given care and attention without even the
expectration of anything from them.
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