India, March 18 -- Lack of work opportunities see rural residents permanently migrate with families

Jalangi in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, was once a thriving hamlet of around 70 households. Today, the village is unrecognisable as a 'ghost village' - over 50 houses lie empty. The abrupt cessation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has led to a haunting transformation of many such villages in West Bengal.

The scheme's operations came to a grinding halt in many villages across the state around two years ago. Down To Earth (DTE) visited these areas to see the impact and found that the lack of work opportunities has exacerbated the already challenging economic conditions in these areas, leaving...