Monsoon washout triggers early migration wave across North Karnataka

Vijayanagara/Raichur: A failed southwest monsoon has triggered an unusually early wave of distress migration across North Karnataka, with thousands of families leaving their villages weeks ahead of the usual seasonal cycle as poor rainfall has left fields unsown and rural employment scarce.The crisis is most acute in the Kalyana Karnataka region, where agricultural activity has virtually ground to a halt. Official data presents a bleak picture. Vijayanagara has recorded a 61% rainfall deficit, followed by Kalaburagi (43%) and Bidar (40%). Raichur, Ballari, Koppal and Yadgir are also battling severe moisture stress.The monsoon failure has disrupted the kharif season. Unlike previous years, when farmers sowed crops before seeking temporary work elsewhere, many have migrated without cultivating their land.

Seeds failed to germinate, while crops that emerged after initial showers withered during prolonged dry spells.The impact is most visible in Vijayanagara district. More than 200 families from Shrikanthapura Thanda, Govindagiri and Bandebasapura Thanda in Kudligi taluk have already migrated. Thousands more have left villages in Kotturu taluk, including Doopadahalli, Motikal Thanda, Timlapura, Akkapura, Gajapura and Kandagal.

Similar migration has been reported from Gurugunta hobli in Raichur district, covering villages such as Machanur, Paidoddi, Bandebhavi, Yerajanti, Yalgatta, Veerapur, Nilogal, Kotha, Gowduru, Anwari and Medinapur.Families are moving to Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya, Mangaluru, Goa, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and the plantation belts of Chikkamagaluru and Channarayapatna. Men have taken up construction jobs, while women are working as domestic help, sugarcane harvesters and labourers in coffee estates.The migration pattern has changed, said Banjara community leader Venkatesh Nayak from Kudligi. “In previous years, people sowed crops before migrating. This year, the lack of rain has left fields barren, leaving us with no option but to leave early,” he said.Agricultural labourer Kuber Nayak from Kotturu said MGNREGA employment lasted barely three months. “With no local work available, migration has become our only means of survival,” he said.The exodus is reshaping village life. Social activist Jagadish N. Dasanakere from Yadgir said many villages were turning into “islands of the elderly and children”, calling it a serious social concern.MLC Hemalatha Nayak blamed recurring migration on the region’s long-standing developmental neglect. Development funds failed to translate into meaningful infrastructure, while govt schemes were not implemented effectively, she alleged, leaving residents with little choice but to migrate.Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha honorary president Chamarasa Malipatil warned that continued rainfall failure could devastate the rural economy. “Without immediate govt intervention and subsidies for re-sowing, we risk a complete collapse of the rural economy,” he said.Farmer organisations have urged the govt to declare the affected districts drought-hit and provide immediate compensation. For thousands of families, however, the journey away from their villages has already begun in search of a livelihood.