Sunday August 16, 09 : Drought is becoming an equaliser in the villages of Andhra Pradesh. From landless labourers to the so-called big farmers and landlords, virtually entire villages are turning up for work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

From a landlord who employed dozens of labour, Rajasekhara Reddy has become a daily wage labourer under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. This after borewells and standing crop on his 12 acres dried up.

"If seasonal conditions were good, I would have employed at least 40-50 people. Now, I myself have to come seeking work under the NREGS because there are no rains," said Rajasekhara Reddy, farmer.

At this time of the year, usually farm labour is not even available for 150 rupees a day because everyone has work on the field. But this year, everyone, virtually the entire village is turning up for work under the NREGS scheme.

As of now, upto 20 lakh people are getting work under NREGS in Andhra Pradesh. But the demand is much, much more and growing steeply. It has become a huge challenge for the government to meet the demand for work from an estimated 75 lakh to one crore people.

"Last year, we stopped worked for three months during the agricultural season because no one would come. Now, during the same period, some 800 people are turning up for NREG work," said M.Laxman, NREGA field official, Warangal district.

Bhoommavva for example has brought both her college-going sons to work as labour here.

"I planted paddy on 5-6 acres, that dried up. Maize on three acres was drying up. I cut it to feed the cattle. The cotton crop is gone. So I have no option but to bring my two college-going sons also to work here," said Bhoommavva, farmer.

With NREGS becoming the only hope for survival, the state government has asked the Centre for an additional 2000 crore rupees.