1. Executive Summary
Acute water scarcity has developed into a severe drought situation. While there has been monsoon deficit of for past few years, differential rainfall pattern, Data shows a continuous fall in the average rainfall in the state from last few years. Agriculture in Jharkhand is mostly dependent on Rain and in most of the places only mono cropping is prevalent. Due to which the drought has led to alarming situation for food security in the rural areas of the state.
This document is an attempt to capture key findings of the Inter-Agency assessment of impact of drought on men, women, children, families, communities. It has tried to capture key aspects of migration during this period, water-sanitation and hygiene, food security, nutrition and IYCF, and key observations on government response.
There is need for urgent attention being paid to the region in view of acute food security challenges being faced by the most vulnerable in the region. The situation is alarming with severe repercussions for children as well as women whose social status. Timely action is needed to avert a looming crisis. In the absence of regular growth monitoring, severe malnutrition among children abounds. The most vulnerable people are bearing repressions of the acute crisis every single day.
In order to avert a major crisis, key actions at the recommended in the immediate term (up to 3 months), among the urgent actions recommended to be implemented, the key ones are: implementation of provisions of National Food Security Act, immediate supplementation of midday meals, provision of subsidized fodder and monitoring nutrition levels of children across all affected districts. It is absolutely essential that lifesaving drugs for children are available free of cost, micro-nutrients be made available to children Mobile Health Units be operationalized and atleast two Fair Price shops are started in each affected district in line with good practice from West Bengal.
Medium term (3-12 months) and long term (12-48 months) actions are also recommended to prepare for and mitigate the drought situation in future.