With no other alternative in sight, people have left for places where they can hope to get any job to sustain themselves. An almost similar scenario prevails in almost any village in the area, where agriculture is dependent on rainfall. A few patches in the district which have been irrigated by the Indravati project, now nearing completion, have good crops. There is little work for the people as a project to renovate a dry tank in the village, for which Rs 40,000 was provided, had been completed. The district authorities feel that the situation might become worse during February and March next. Though the serious drought situation was very much on the cards, since the beginning of the kharif season following monsoon failure, funds were allocated for taking up labour intensive work only during November.

That too, only Rs one crore had been provided to the district administration in phases for taking up labour intensive work, sources said.

The district administration had calculated that it would require Rs 115 crore, to provide employment to the affected people till the next kharif harvest.

Lack of employment had drastically affected the peoples'purchasing ability prompting them to migrate.

The condition of farmers who owned land and employed workers in their fields was even worse.

While they had suffered crop loss this year, they could not also go out and work as labourers, if any work was taken up in their village.