IMPACT OF DROUGHT: MIGRATION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IN RAYALASEEMA REGION OF ANDHRA PRADESH

A drought is a period of time when an area or region experiences below-normal precipitation. The lack of adequate precipitation, either rain or snow, can cause reduced soil moisture or groundwater, diminished stream flow, crop damage, and a general water shortage.In India, thirty five percent of the area receives rainfall between 750 mm and 1100 mm, and is considered as drought prone. In the arid and semi-arid regions in the nation, where rainfall is low at rainy times and abnormally low every few years, the drought is considered as a normal function of life. The state of Andhra Pradesh is conventionally splits into two geographical regions, one is Coastal Andhra and another one is Rayalaseema region, also the region comprises four districts namely Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa and Kurnool. The performance of agricultural sector in Rayalaseema region has great impact on people living on dryland agriculture. Former denotes dryness of weather or climate or lack of rain and latter denotes insufficiency of food. Drought and scarcities are generally confined to limited localities and for shorter period of time. Rural households, particularly in the arid and semi-arid areas of India routinely plan for and manage uncertainty associated with regular seasonal fluctuations and periodic drought-induced crises. These uncertainties pose particular hardships for the poor who face chronic vulnerability in terms of their access to resources. In fact, the lives of the poor in India have been characterized by the almost total absence of security.