Feroz, Asifa Zunaidha <br/><br/>
Caste, water, and the political ecology of drought: Struggles for equitable development in Tamil Nadu 

 - Economic & Political Weekly   
 - 60(49), Dec 6, 2025: p.63-70 
<br/><br/> The political ecology of drought and marginalisation in Tamil Nadu’s arid landscapes is examined with a focus on Ramanathapuram district. Drought in this region is not merely a climatic phenomenon but a sociopolitical process shaped by caste hierarchies, landholding inequalities, and historical patterns of unequal resource control. Drawing on qualitative field research, the paper shows how dominant caste groups continue to monopolise access to water and state-relief programmes, while marginalised communities—particularly Dalits and landless groups—face disproportionate vulnerability. A political ecology lens reveals how addressing drought necessitates confronting caste and governance failures in rural India.- Reproduced <br/><br/>https://www.epw.in/journal/2025/49/review-rural-affairs/caste-water-and-political-ecology-drought.html<br/>