Srinagar: Abdul Ahad Dar of Shangus sowed quality paddy this season hoping for a better harvest.
Only a week after sowing paddy, the area faced severe water scarcity. Due to a lack of irrigation facilities, most of the paddy saplings have wilted.
“Our crops are getting damaged due to water scarcity. We don’t have any other alternative means of irrigation. Paddy is the main source of income for people in our areas. We are staring at a huge loss,” he said.
More than one thousand kanals of paddy land in Wangam, Sheikh Gund and adjoining areas of zone Shangus have been affected by severe drought.
Farmers from Anantnag’s Pazalpora, Jablipora, Subhanpora, Kulgad, Tulkhan, Wanihama, and Dailgam areas also face a shortage of irrigation water.
“Thousands of kanals of land need immediate irrigation. The streams have dried up and the lack of borewells is further complicating the problem,” said Mohammad Iqbal, another farmer.
The situation is equally grim in North Kashmir. “We fail to understand what happened with the water level in a week. Last week only, the stream was gushing with water,” said Abdul Hamid Bhat, a farmer from north Kashmir’s Pattan.
In Warpora, Nihalpora, and Check Sari villages of Pattan, the water level of Babul Kul, is receding with each passing day.
“The situation may turn uglier in the coming weeks. Three thousand kanals of paddy land needs immediate irrigation,” said Abdul Majeed Dar, a farmer.
Dozens of the villages in Sopore are struggling for water as the paddy sowing season is nearing an end.
“All standing crops need a water supply. Last year, we also faced such problems. However, timely rainfall saved our crop, ” said Farooq Ahmad Qazi, a farmer.
In April, the irrigation and flood control department of the Baramulla division issued an advisory asking farmers to avoid paddy cultivation as they won’t be able to provide water for irrigation.
Kashmir has recorded 80% less precipitation than normal in winter and spring.
Director Agriculture, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal told The Kashmir Monitor that the department is taking preventive measures to arrange irrigation for affected areas.
“In Shangus and Anantnag, we have some issues related to irrigation. We are taking some preventive measures and their problems will be resolved soon,” he said.
The Director asked the concerned officers to chalk out an immediate strategy to mitigate the impact of the drought scenario on the paddy crop.
He asked the technical experts of the Department to work shoulder to shoulder with the affected farmers and provide them with the necessary technical guidance.
