Telangana: From exodus to Gulf to reverse migration
In the past, before Telangana gained Statehood, thousands of small farmers with land holdings of one to three acres were a frustrated lot in the face of little or no irrigation facilities, erratic monsoons and depleting groundwater tables.
Hyderabad: The dwindling job opportunities abroad, particularly in the Gulf countries, coupled with, more importantly, the rapid progress made by Telangana State in irrigation has resulted in reverse migration of NRIs. With water available in abundance in Telangana following the completion of projects like Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, the trickle of native NRIs, most of whom are small farmers, has begun and this is expected to gain momentum sooner than later.
In the past, before Telangana gained Statehood, thousands of small farmers with land holdings of one to three acres were a frustrated lot in the face of little or no irrigation facilities, erratic monsoons and depleting groundwater tables. The best bet for them those days was the Gulf, where a booming construction industry offered them opportunities to work as labour. Most of them had also accumulated debts that forced them to leave home.
Well, the scenario has changed now with the rural economy in Telangana State booming with opportunities, water aplenty and groundwater levels rising by leaps and bounds across the State, all these in a matter of eight years after the TRS came to power in 2014 post-Statehood.
Simultaneously, in the Gulf, the slowdown of the construction sector – the largest employment field for youth from Telangana – put a question mark on job prospects. The recruitment sub-agents, who once thrived in the area, have all but closed shop.
This has not disheartened the Telangana migrants for they see a new ray of hope in their native places with water availability boosting their self-confidence that they can have sustainable livelihood through farming.
The rise of water table in Rajanna Sircilla district, which has sizable NRIs, exemplifies the change. The district is known for failed borewells and debts that compelled many ryots to look towards the Gulf. This January, district recorded an increase of 1.1.4 mgbl over previous year’s level, according to groundwater officials.
Kashaveni Mahesh, a native Suddala in Konaraopeat mandal of the district who worked in Saudi Arabia, is a classic example of the reverse migration taking place. Like thousands of others, Mahesh chose Saudi Arabia for employment due to lack of irrigation facilities in his village. He dug deep borewells up to 550 feet but failed to get any water and lost hope on farming before heading to Saudi.
“Despite digging four deep borewells, we were hardly able to irrigate two acres of land prior to State formation. However, with a single borewell now, we are cultivating crops in six acres of land,” Mahesh told Telangana Today.
Attributing the recharge of groundwater to the projects, the NRI turned farmer said water availability was just a dream in undivided Andhra Pradesh that was turned into a reality by the K Chandrashekhar Rao government.
Long-time NRI Peddi Ramu of Takkalapalli village in Mallial mandal of Jagtial district worked in Oman as a construction labour for a decade before he packed up his bags to return home for good and take up farming. “There was no water nor crop knowledge or guidance, I moved to Oman where I used to wake up at 5 AM to go to the work site and return home at 7:00 PM”, he said about his working conditions in Oman.
“I often thought that if I could work in the same way in my home country, I would earn a livelihood and also be with my family,” he said, adding: “I noticed the change in Telangana’s rural economy with availability of water that not only instilled confidence but also put me on the right path during the last couple of my vacations at home. I decided not to return to Oman and remain at home here.”
Growing vegetables in 1.5 acre of his total 3-acre land, Ramu hasn’t looked back since then. He cultivates tomatoes and cucumbers and keeps the other part of his land holding free to cultivate any crop that fetches more money.
Referring to Chandrashekhar Rao’s advice to farmers for crop diversification, Ramu said that vegetable cultivation was profitable, but monkey menace was a cause of major concern. “I was cultivating paddy till the government stopped procuring. Cultivating paddy was easy and safe,” he added.
Echoing similar sentiments, Basa Ganganna, who spent long years in Bahrain, is a native of Turti village in Mortad mandal in Nizamabad district. He also said that increase in groundwater levels had helped him in deciding to return home forever and take up farming. “If one works with dedication and with enough water available now, we can be successful without going to Gulf,” he observed, adding that he was cultivating sorghum, turmeric and maize besides paddy without any water issue.
The success story of Pachaboyina Kishore of Kistapur village in Siddipet mandal of the same district is interesting. He had got his passport before attaining the age of 18, and waited for a year to be employed in the UAE where he worked for a decade. He worked in Fujirah, one of the Emirates in UAE, for 10 years before returning home with empty hands as his employer had abandoned him.
“I was ashamed for a year and would not step out of the house after my return from UAE, but my father encouraged me get into farming” he said. Unlike in the past, water is not an issue now, Kishore, who cultivates sunflower besides paddy, said.
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