As rains falter, North Karnataka's annual migration begins early

The annual migration of farmworkers from North Karnataka has commenced weeks ahead of schedule, driven by a severe deficit in monsoon rainfall. This lack of rain has left agricultural fields unsown and delicate crops withering, consequently decimating rural employment opportunities across districts like Vijayanagara, Yadgir, and Raichur.

In Kudligi taluk of Vijayanagara district, where rain-fed farming is the primary livelihood, approximately 200 families have already departed in search of work. Over 50 families from Shrikanthapura Thanda alone have left their village after their crops failed due to the insufficient rainfall. Some families embarked on overnight journeys in lorries, transporting their belongings and children towards the Malnad region.

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Employment under MGNREGA lasts only about three months and is insufficient to sustain families for the rest of the year. We have no choice but to migrate to the Malnad region for work.

About 30% of these migrant families have relocated to Bengaluru, where men are finding employment in construction and women are working as domestic helpers. The remaining families have traveled to cities such as Mysuru, Mandya, and Chikkamagaluru, securing work in sugarcane harvesting and coffee plantations. This pattern is emerging across North Karnataka, with Yadgir district also experiencing a similar trend.

Seasonal migration is a long-standing practice in Kudligi, a region prone to drought. However, residents note a significant difference this year: many families have left before even beginning the cultivation process. Previously, farmers would sow their small landholdings before seeking temporary work elsewhere. This season, numerous fields remain barren as the rains failed to materialize, and crops like sesame and sorghum, planted after sporadic showers, have already dried up. Laborer Kubera Nayak stated, "Employment under MGNREGA lasts only about three months and is insufficient to sustain families for the rest of the year. We have no choice but to migrate to the Malnad region for work."

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Every year, seasonal migration from various villages and tandas in the taluk is common. However, in previous years, people would first sow crops in their small landholdings before migrating. This year, due to inadequate rainfall, sowing has not even begun in many fields. In places where sesame and sorghum were sown, the crops have withered because of the lack of rain. As a result, people have begun migrating much earlier than usual.