Livelihood of hundred of families in danger as paddy fields dry up in Pulwama

Livelihood of hundred of families in danger as paddy fields dry up in Pulwama

Press Trust of Kashmir | Pulwama:-Paddy sapling on hundreds of canals of land are drying up as there is no water available for irrigation purposes in Tokuna, Beighpora and its adjacent areas in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Locals said that the paddy sapling that were sown this month have started to dry up as there are no facilities available for irrigating the land under paddy cultivation.

They said that hundreds of kanals of land are drying up turning into barren as authorities have failed to provide water required for irrigation purposes.

The lift irrigation scheme was functional and all started planting paddy sapling but once we all completed the process, the scheme on which our whole land depends has gone defunct, said Gulzar Ahmad a local from Beighpora.

We have made repeated requests to concerned authorities but to no avail,he added.

Livelihood of hundreds of families is in danger as most of the families are dependent on agriculture produce for their livelihood and when their fields are drying what they will eat and earn, he added.

The locals requested the concerned authorities to look into their grievance and arrangements are made to start new lift irrigation scheme for the entire area or provide any other alternative arrangements for irrigation purposes at an earliest

An official said that the water level of Jehleum is receding with each passing day and we are unable to do anything.

Several schemes are defunct presently and we are trying our best to restart them, he added.:-PTK.