Paddy farmers hit in Bandipora due to dry weather

Paddy farmers hit in Bandipora due to dry weather

Suhail Rather

Bandipora, 10, Aug (PTK): The paddy lands of Sonawari Sub division of Bandipora, also known as the ‘rice bowl’ of North Kashmir, is longing for rainwater aimed the continuing dry weather, while as the ‘nonfunctional’ irrigation schemes have added to the miseries of hundreds of farmers who ‘solely’ depend on the produce.

In villages like Shahgund around ‘500’ Kanals of paddy land has already dried up due to no irrigation water as the lift schemes aren’t being ‘running properly’, with no rain too, the farmers are fearing a ‘huge crop loss’ this season.

Mohammad Qayoom, from Shahgund village, said, “Paddy fields in Markundal, Vijpara, Gundiboon, Hakbara and Shagund were drying up as the irrigation supply schemes are non-functional this season or supplying very little water”.

The same situation is being witnessed in the nearby Hajin, where farmers are apprehensive that thousands of Kanal’s of paddy land will be affected if it doesn’t get irrigation water any sooner.

Apart from that paddy fields in Sonawari’s, Shivat, Inderkoot, Rakh Shilvat snd Shadipora are also drying up for the want of water, the local farmers say.

The other villages which are facing drought-like situation are, Nidkhai, Zaalpora, Rakhe Asham, Nowgam, Shiganpora, Andkhaloo and other adjoining areas, amounting to around ‘20000’ acres of paddy land.

Ghulam Mohammad Mir, 58, from Nowgam village, who owns around 25 Kanals says “the paddy fields were devastated and that no timely rainfall has already ruined the crops”.

According to the officials at the Irrigation and Flood control department, the ‘situation is arising from almost everywhere’ due to no rainfall.

Mohammad Mustahasan, Executive Engineer, Irrigation and Flood control in Sumbal, Sonawari says that ‘water level in Jehlum is very low due to which the pumps were not able to lift water to its full capacity”.

According to the official, “in this season the optimum water level in Jehlum would normally be around 7-8 feet which now has drastically declined to only 3 feet now due to no rainfall in two months”.

The officials, say this was ‘Allah’s will,’ who has dried the weather and that they were doing ‘their bit’.

“Though we are on the job day and night, helping farmers mitigate some loss by rationalising the pump system water irrigation”, however, he adds “the rainfall was must for this situation to get resolved”.

A kind of the same situation, according to the locals is being witnessed in other parts of the north Kashmir district especially in Gamroo and Gundpora areas, where farmers were have resorted to ‘prayers asking for rainfall to save their farmlands’.(PTK)