Drought-hit areas in state take toll on students studying in Pune

By: Pune Pulse

November 23, 2023

Pune: Difficult time lies ahead for students who come from drought-hit areas and are studying in Pune.

The poor monsoon, withered crops and diminishing water supplies have led to a crisis in the lives of the students.

Hundreds of students with aspirations travel to the city hoping for stable employment and a good life. However, fate has other plans for them. Years of worrying about where they will get their next meal and whether they can find cheaper housing come before that. For them, the burden their education in Pune places on their parents is more prevalent than anything. 

For the past four months, a student at Fergusson College has only eaten half a meal twice a day, every day. She usually skips breakfast. Bunk beds are jammed into every available space in her one-bedroom apartment, which she shares with seventeen other girls. This includes the tiny hallway in front of the bathroom. Students live in small quarters, eke out an existence on shared meals, and take shortcuts.

Fourteen talukas from Marathwada, where farmers are facing crop failure this year, are among the forty-two talukas that the state government declared to be affected by drought. The student, who is from Beed in Marathwada, is forced to lead a simple life. Her mother works as a domestic helper, and her father drives a truck. According to the college student, her parents are uneducated. Her parents sent her to pursue her education in Pune. They had no idea how expensive the city would be.

The owner has been reminding her that she is behind on her rent payment this month. She has been trying to cut costs. She shares the tiffin that comes twice a day with a friend to cut down on food, and she usually skips breakfast, but she still has to pay her rent and tuition. This is unknown to her parents.

Shreyas Vange