Manjunath’s struggle is no longer an isolated one; it mirrors the growing desperation across Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, where a severe drought and unrelenting summer heat have pushed farming communities to the brink.
Water sources that once sustained agriculture, ponds, lakes, and open wells, have run dry. Even borewells, often the last lifeline in such crises, are failing, leaving farmers with little to fall back on.
Areca nut cultivators are among the worst hit, watching their plantations wither under the scorching sun.
With no natural water supply left, many have turned to buying water to irrigate their fields, an expensive gamble that is rapidly draining their savings. For several farmers, this means slipping deeper into debt each day, as the cost of survival begins to outweigh the hope of returns.
With summer intensifying and rainfall nowhere in sight, anxiety is mounting across the district. Farmers say the situation is no longer sustainable and are urging the government to step in with immediate relief measures before the crisis worsens further.