“Earlier it’d rain a lot but no harvest now we look for harvest but no rains, so people make the desperate move to cities or towns looking for any kind of work, this village is now filled with old people, there no reason for anyone to stay on. The men in our village are terrible at cooking so the women have also gone with them to help, kids are left back with their grandparents. As for me, I work as farm labour and make Rs 130 a day, what can I buy? A kilo of cooking oil is Rs 80/90, millet costs Rs 25 for 1.5 kilos, Rs 50 for a kilo of grains, so we limit our cooking and eat when necessary. We pray to Lord Shiva for rains, and we’ve sowed a part of one-acre land. People who have migrated should just get tired of city life or fall sick and come back only then can we do something ourselves.” Shivamma, Savanthkal, Raichur.