Kalaburagi
In rural areas of the district, there is a noticeable trend of migration, with people leaving their children and elderly relatives at home and relocating to major cities like Mumbai and Pune in search of employment opportunities.
The migration from rural villages to urban centers is driven by a lack of sufficient food grains to meet daily needs and expenses. Farmers are particularly affected by the drought, facing significant losses this year with no means to cover their expenses until the monsoon arrives. Consequently, they are migrating to urban areas to earn a livelihood.
Bapu Naik, a farmer from Kheeru tanda expressed his reliance on finding work in Mumbai due to the absence of job cards from the government and the misuse of MNREGA scheme cards in his village.
Ticket booking agents note a significant increase in the number of buses ferrying migrating laborers between Kalaburagi and Mumbai, indicating the scale of migration from the district.
As a result of the migration, villages appear deserted with minimal activity except for children and the elderly during cooler periods of the day. Mannu Rathod, a farm laborer, sees this as an opportunity to voice the community’s demands to politicians seeking votes.
