JANGAON: This Rabi season, hundreds of acres of paddy and maize crops have withered due to water scarcity. Farmers allege that the negligence of the state government has left them in dire straits, leading to the loss in capital, which was invested by them.
When TNIE visited Dharawath tanda, Chintabai tanda, Dharamapur and Seetharampuram village, ryots lamented the absence of water supply from the Ghanpur and Nawabpet reservoirs to agricultural fields in Devaruppula mandal. They stated that 800 to 1000 acres of paddy and maize crops were dried due to lack of water supply from reservoirs in the Devurupala mandal.
Speaking to TNIE, J Bhima Naik, a farmer of Dharawath Thanda in the Devurupala Mandal of Jangaon district said: “We had borrowed lakhs of rupees from private financiers to cultivate crops, and when the crops withered, the financiers forced us to repay the amounts. I cultivated paddy on four acres, investing Rs 7 lakh, and due to water scarcity the entire crop perished in the fields.”
Accusing the officials of failing to release water from the Nawapet and Station Ghanpur reservoirs, Bhima said: “Despite raising the issue with the irrigation officials and the local Congress MLA about the crop damage, no action was taken to deal with the situation.” “The state government’s negligence resulted in heavy losses to the farmers in the Rabi season,” he lamented.
Another farmer, Md Yakub, from Seetharampuram village in Devurupala mandal crop for cattle to feed, incurring a loss of about Rs 10 lakh.” Yakub requested the authorities to release water and save crops.