SHIKARIPURA (SHIVAMOGGA DISTRICT) : Afar as the eye can see, the earth in Shikaripura looks burnt brown. There’s silence around the fields, almost eerie. The drought is like a palpable, evil presence here: it has sucked the life out of farming. Some, like Putta Naik (45), know that desperate situations call for desperate measures. A farmer with a holding of only two acres of land at Koratakere Tanda, Naik has entered into an unusual agreement with his neighbour—he has bartered one acre of his land for water, to cultivate his other acre.
Naik could not afford to drill a borewell on his own land. With a family of six to feed, he simply could not put together Rs 2 lakh needed to get a borewell. Drilling has to be deep, so not an easy option.
“The last time I grew paddy was five years ago. I had incurred loss that year due to scanty rainfall. From then on, I started growing maize as it requires less water. This year I stopped that as well, shortage of rainfall makes most crops unviable,’’ Naik says, wistfully.
Like Naik, many farmers in Central Karnataka comprising Shivamogga, Davangere and Chitradurga districts are just about pulling through in the dry spell. While a vast area of this region is rain-fed, the remaining depends on irrigation. Farmers turn to borewells to till their land as most irrigation projects are still to be completed. Take for instance, the major lift irrigation project of Upper Bhadra in Central Karnataka, is far behind schedule. Once ready, it is expected to irrigate 2,25,515 hectares of land in Tarikere and Kadur taluks of Chikkamagalur district, Hosadurga, Hiriyur, Chitradurga and Challakere taluks of Chitradurga district, Jagalur taluk of Davangere district and Sira, Chikkanayakanahalli taluks of Tumakuru district.
Though Shivamogga is known as the gateway of Malnad, Shivamogga, Shikaripura and Sorab taluks have been drought-hit since 2015. Water is as precious a commodity as gold. Irrigation projects such as Udugani-Thalagunda Hosuru lift irrigation project for filling 200 tanks and Hosahalli irrigation project, announced in the budget, are expected to irrigate a vast area of land.
These irrigation projects have been election issues. Before the government announced the plan to rejuvenate the lakes in Shivamogga district, the main political parties wasted time in a blame game over the dried water bodies. Now, after the Congress, JD(S) and BJP are all claiming credit for a project that’s yet to see the day light.
BJP’s telling the voters to give credit to B S Yeddyurappa for pressurising the government to implement the project. JD(S)-Congress alliance candidate Madhu Bangarappa states that it was a march taken out from Kubatur to Shivamogga, about 90 km, in demand for the project led the government announcement. Meanwhile, the people struggle for water and bater land between themselves, to stick to farming.
On the Upper Bhadra Project, Congress is citing how it has got Rs 12,340 crore released for the project, and BJP is criticising the the coalition government for failing to complete the project on time.In this suggest, not many are dwelling on the fact that small and medium farmers have not been able to grow Rabi because of the water crisis. If the acute water shortage was not enough of a problem, the crop insurance and loans are the other headache. Basappa (75), a farmer, and his son Siddalingappa from Udutadi village, have forgotten about the crop insurance as three years have past since they applied. With elections round the corner, the small farmers are not sure whom to vote.
FACT BOX
Major crops grown - paddy, jowar, maize, ragi, onion, red gram, sunflower, areca, banana, coconut, pepper, cotton, mango and pineapple Facts - Davangere, Shivamogga and Chitradurga districts have been reeling under drought Upper Bhadra Project, a major lift irrigation project of central Karnataka, is yet to be completed Known as ‘Gateway of Malnad,’ Shivamogga reeling under drought since 2015 Borewells need to be drilled for about 400-500 feet in Shivamogga and over ,1000 feet in Davangere and Chitradurga Though MGNREGS has reduced the migration, many people still migrate in search of livelihood