Drought in Maharashtra: Voluntary Pay Cuts Won’t Fix India’s Agrarian Vulnerability

The recurring drought situation in Maharashtra reflects a problem in the agricultural sector of India – many farmers are still at the mercy of rains, declining groundwater and escalating costs of production. Whenever the situation arises where the drought creates a problem for agriculture and rural life, the government announces relief programs and the local government representatives volunteer to reduce their salaries as a sign of sympathy. Though such actions reflect the concern of the government, they cannot help solve the fundamental issues of making agricultural communities resistant to…