OFFICIAL APATHY

Of the total 30 lakh hectare area in six districts of the Bundelkhand region in MP, 24 lakh hectares are used for agriculture

A study by an NGO found that in the last 10 years, the parched belt has witnessed a decline in agriculture production by 55 per cent and productivity by 21 per cent

The region has witnessed 1,187 cases of alleged farmer suicides in the last 13 years, although, the state government says the deaths might be due to other reasons

Ground water level in the region has dipped by around 3-4 metres in the past decades

Massive deforestation has led to erratic monsoons in the past several decades. Rain days have been reduced from 52 in a year to 27 in a year between 1999 and 2008

Out of nearly 70,000 million cubic meter water received during monsoon in the region, only 15,000 million cubic metre is recorded to be recharging ground water due to lack of major dams

A part of the region has shown signs of desertification turning 2 lakh acres of land in four districts of Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh and Damoh into wastelands

Alleged farmer suicides have been reported in districts like Chhatarpur (322), Panna (277), Tikamgarh (163), Damoh (130) and Sagar (295)

The region has a population of 3 crore, comprising 22.68 per cent SC population and 6.15 per cent ST population