Parched fields, early exodus: Maharashtra drought’s first signs reveal desperate move for survival

Maharashtra's drought is causing farmers and laborers to leave their villages weeks before the usual cane-cutting season, with families migrating to sugar factories in western Maharashtra and Karnataka. The workers, mostly small farmers and landless laborers, face little or no farm work and income, leading many to seek employment elsewhere even before the farm season ends.

In Beed, families with small landholdings began leaving after their bajra crop failed, and some have traveled as far as Tamil Nadu for work. The drought has pushed families into debt, forcing them to take advances from mukadams, or labor contractors, to buy essentials and pay for travel. Despite ongoing concerns about the conditions of sugarcane workers, including lack of facilities and bonded labor risks, many families still face financial distress, making it difficult to bargain for their rights.