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ShareKarso (Jharkhand): After their crops failed due to scanty rain, farmers of this village in Chhatarpur block of Jharkhand are now losing their cattle, their only source of economic sustenance, for want of fodder.
The aggrieved farmers hit the headlines after 10,000 of them reportedly decided to seek president Pratibha Patil's permission for mercy killing in the face of drought-like situation for the past three years.
Lalan Yadav of Karso, about 200 km from Ranchi, told visiting newsmen that acute fodder and water shortage had claimed his two cows and an ox earlier this month. His neighbour Bichhulu Yadav has lost his ox.
Chattarpur block of Palamu district falls in the rain-shadow area and is experiencing a prolonged dry spell.
"We are not the only persons who lost the cattle, which were our life-line. There are several other families who have suffered. We are facing acute water shortage as the 1000-odd population in our village are depending on just one hand-pump as ponds and wells have dried up," Lalan and Bichhulu complained before the visiting newsmen.
When asked, Palamau deputy commissioner Amitabh Kaushal said he too had received information about the death of about 100 cattle and was looking into the reasons behind it.
