DEESA (BANASKANTHA DIST), MARCH 3: The Rajpur-Deesa Panjrapol, which generally shelters cattle, has unusual inmates these days. Some 300 tribals from 11 villages of nearby Amirgadh taluka, who were forced to abandon their hamlets along with their cows and buffaloes a fortnight ago due to scarcity of water, grain and fodder, have made it their home."There is no water in the hand-pumps or the wells," says Badhabhai Ditabhai Chamar of Dhanpura village. "Our fields are as dry as rock." Other displaced men, women and children sit squatting by the side of the panjrapol, watching hay being unloaded from trucks.The tribals are given food by the panjrapol. In exchange, they help the staff look after the 5,500-odd cattle there. "We do not know where to go till the rains come. It will be a long wait," says Veena Sukha Parmar of Ghoda village.The authorities, however, do not even know about these tribals. Admitting this, Resident Deputy Collector, Banaskantha, M B Patel said a grass depot had been set up in nearby Iqbalgadh and relief works were underway in Amirgadh taluka. Commissioner (Relief) K C Mahapatra also admitted that the department did not know of the tribals' migration.The hamlets the tribals belong to dot the tract between Chitrasani and Ambaji, which is reeling under severe shortage of water. "There is no water even for human beings, forget cattle," says Soma Ratna Bhagoda. "We used to grow maize, tuver to last an year, but the crops failed this year." Even the grass normally growing aplenty on the nearby hillocks has dried up.When the situation became serious last month, the tribals got together and came to meet Rajpur-Deesa Panjrapol joint secretary Bharatbhai Kothari. "We explored the possibility of opening a small cattle-shed in the area, but ruled out the idea due to shortage of water. We can arrange for hay, but what about water?" asks Kothari.Then the tribals packed whatever little belongings they had, untied their cows and buffaloes and started out on foot to Deesa. "We walked all the way, spending nights on the roadside," says Kana Hathi Lokva of Virampur village. Other villages from where the tribals have migrated are Ghoda, Padni, Kanpura, Tadodi, Gavra, Signi, Harumona, Khimrojia, and Vonka. Today, these villages are deserted, with only a few persons staying back to look after the kachcha houses.The tribals complain that the no relief work has been announced. "There is no fairness while declaring villages `scarcity-hit'," alleges Kothari. "While the villages which have received little rainfall have not been declared scarcity-hit, better-off villages have been declared as such.Banaskantha Resident Deputy Collector Patel admitted that 41 of the 71 villages of the taluka had not been declared scarcity-affected.
