Monsoon delay deepens agrarian and pastoral distress in Kutch

By Aseem Mishra*   

Kutch is staring at a deepening ecological and economic crisis as a delayed southwest monsoon disrupts agriculture, livestock rearing and fragile ecosystems across the district. In a region historically dependent on erratic rainfall, the prolonged dry spell has exposed the limits of recent investments in water conservation and climate resilience, leaving farmers, pastoralists and environmentalists increasingly anxious.

The crisis echoes the centuries-old words of poet Rahim: “Rahiman paani rakhiye, paani bin sub soon. Paani gaye na ubere moti maanas chun.” (Preserve water, for without it everything is void. When water is lost, the pearl’s lustre, human dignity and flour’s utility are all diminished.) In Kutch, where livelihoods are closely tied to seasonal rains, the proverb has acquired renewed relevance.

Over the past few years, above-normal rainfall had encouraged large-scale plantation drives, restoration of traditional water harvesting systems and the revival of recharge structures. These measures, undertaken by government agencies and local communities, helped improve water availability and reduced the immediate threat of drought.

This year, however, the delayed arrival of the monsoon has exposed the vulnerability of the region’s predominantly rainfed economy. Agriculture and livestock rearing, the two principal livelihoods in Kutch, are facing mounting stress as sowing is delayed and grazing lands remain barren.

According to Praveen Muchhadiya of the grassroots agricultural organisation Satvik, the sowing window for major rainfed crops is rapidly closing. “If the monsoon does not arrive by the end of July, early crops such as bajra, moong and both brown and white varieties of sesame may not be sown this season,” he said.

While crops such as castor and sorghum can still be planted in early August, they are unlikely to compensate for the loss of food crops. Farmers with access to groundwater irrigation, who cultivate cotton and groundnut, also face uncertainty as the absence of monsoon recharge is expected to lower groundwater levels and affect both yields and crop quality.

The delayed rains have offered one temporary advantage. Growers of Kutch’s indigenous dates and mangoes benefited from an extended harvesting and marketing period, enabling them to secure better prices. However, this gain has been overshadowed by a rapidly worsening fodder crisis.

For Maldhari pastoralists, water scarcity has translated into soaring input costs and shrinking livestock productivity. Aamadbhai Tuga of the Bhuj Cattle Rearers Association said the price of dry fodder has doubled.

“We are now forced to buy dry fodder from retailers at around ₹12 per kilogram. Normally, wholesale purchases cost about ₹6 per kilogram. Wholesale stocks have disappeared, leaving us dependent on retail supplies,” he said.

The shortage extends beyond fodder. Many lakes across the region have dried up or turned into shallow pools of saline water. With little access to fresh drinking water and almost no green vegetation left after an extended summer, cattle are consuming less water, showing signs of dehydration and producing significantly less milk, the main source of income for Maldhari families.

Conditions are equally severe in the Banni grasslands, one of Asia’s largest tropical grassland ecosystems. Ishabhai Mutwa of the Banni Breeders Association said there was virtually no standing grass left in the landscape.

Traditionally, fodder shortages in Kutch have been addressed through supplies from southern Gujarat districts such as Surat, Valsad and Vapi. This year, however, those districts are themselves battling floods, disrupting the supply chain.

Mutwa said the Forest Department has substantial reserves of harvested Banni grass that could be released to livestock owners. “The department cannot store this grass beyond three years because it deteriorates naturally. It is usually distributed to panjarapoles at subsidised rates. It should now be released immediately to livestock keepers. Since no formal drought has been declared, the reserves remain locked,” he said.

The association has urged the District Collector to convene an emergency meeting of the Revenue and Forest Departments to facilitate the release of stored fodder. As water sources inside forest areas continue to dry up, many cattle rearers have begun moving their herds towards villages with relatively reliable water supplies, increasing pressure on local resources.

Environmental experts warn that the delayed monsoon is also causing long-term ecological damage. Ecologist Pankaj Joshi said the Banni grasslands support more than 50 indigenous grass species, each adapted to specific rainfall conditions.

“A prolonged delay in rainfall alters the composition of native grasses and creates opportunities for invasive or less nutritious species to spread,” he said.

Joshi added that shrinking grazing areas are forcing livestock deeper into ecologically sensitive habitats, increasing competition with wild herbivores and placing additional pressure on already fragile ecosystems. “The consequences go beyond grazing. Soil stability, biodiversity and other ecosystem services are all at risk, and recovery could take years,” he said.

With the sowing season slipping away, fodder reserves dwindling and ecological stress intensifying, local communities are calling for immediate administrative intervention rather than waiting for a formal drought declaration. For many in Kutch, the delayed monsoon has become more than a weather anomaly—it is a reminder that the region’s environmental resilience remains inseparable from the timely arrival of rain.

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*Development expert