Karnataka: Farmers in Lakshmeshwar turn to drainage water, tankers to save crops
GADAG: Farmers in Lakshmeshwar and other parts of Gadag are using water tankers, stagnant water on the roadside and drainage water to save their crops. There has been no rain for the last month in this region, resulting in crops drying up due to water scarcity. Hence, only some farmers who can afford water tankers are availing the same, while those who cannot are forced to use pump sets to draw water from drains. Farmers had sown onion, groundnut, cotton, chilly, and green gram crops, which stare at the risk of drying up with no water in sight.
Used water from Lakshmeshwar makes its way through a large drain towards the town’s outskirts, and many farmers can be seen drawing water from here through pump sets to irrigate their crops. Farmers are also seen utilising standing water from ponds for the same. They say the water tankers have become costly, requiring them to cough up thousands of rupees to have water supplies for their crops. To feed water to even one acre of land, they have to spend near Rs 4,000, which becomes uneconomical. Hence, only a few wealthier farmers are resorting to this option.
The Gadag taluk and a few other parts received rain in the last month, but Lakshmeshwar and some parts of Shirahatti taluk failed to. This made the farmers desperate, forcing them to use any sources of water they could find. Tanker owners too have hiked prices to Rs 400-500 per water load, citing demand increase. If the farms are far from the town, tanker owners tend to charge more. “The crops are drying up due to water scarcity. We have not received any rain for the last 30 days and all of us are struggling hard to get water through ponds and drains. Some farmers are also lifting water from standing water sources. We have not faced such a situation earlier. Tanker owners are also charging more,” said Sharanu Goudar, a farmer from Lakshmeshwar.
An official from the Gadag Agriculture Department said, “farmers from Lakshmeshwar and some regions are struggling to save their crops. Our officials have visited some farms and advised the farmers to use sprinklers or drip irrigation methods in farming. Farmers can contact their nearest agriculture office for assistance.”