1970-73 Drought of Maharashtra: with special reference to state and legislative response

Abstract

Drought and famine are different but they are interrelated. Famine is more devastating expression of drought. Drought related with shortage of water when water supply fail short to suffice different water needs. Large scale shortage of accustomed food supply over large area which results in to large scale starvation deaths means famines. As these two phenomenons have many dimensions and had wide impact on human culture and society these subjects remained serious concerns of many scholars. These subjects with its various shades, aspects and attributes studied in this research. Amartaya Sen and Dreze became Nobel Prize laureate for their studies on famines and hunger of world. These two academicians also studied 1970-73 drought as part of their study of hunger and famine. Recorded history of Indian monsoon shows that on long run, Indian monsoon is quiet stable. Indian summer monsoon system is self regulatory hence even after erratic behavior for two to three years consequently, it again comes to its equilibrium exhibiting satisfactory performance. Generally monsoon arrives and performs rainfall every year newlineregularly without fail. There are certain years in the history of India that recorded severe droughts some of them resulted in to grave famines. Famines are not heavenly but worldly creation of state. This postulation can be tested through the careful analysis of drought and scarcity related facts. The outlook of people state and legislature to issues of public importance and especially issues of acute distress that society and state facing is reflected in historical research. This research is intended to pursue all these attributes and facets of 1970-73 droughts. In any historical research researcher is not suppose to suggest measures to be adopted in future while dealing in similar kind of crisis that researchers have pursued.