Scant rainfall has robbed the sleep of most farmers in Nilagiri area of Balasore district. With acres of farmlands going dry, paddy plants, which are now supposed to be giving shoots, are requiring sufficient water. The absence of irrigation facilities in many pockets is said to be a perennial problem for farming here.
As per reports, most farmers are desperate to save their crops. They are seen remaining awake throughout the night at farmlands and pumping out water from nearby creeks, ponds or rivers. They said they have to protect the crops when plants need water at this time.
Narrating his plight for lack of irrigation in the area, a farmer said, “I have raised paddy in two acres. In the monsoon, our area did not get enough rain. Now, lands are dry. Paddy plants will wilt if water is not provided immediately.”
He added that as some lands are near a canal, many farmers like him are now pumping out water into the farmland throughout the night.
Another farmer accused the state government of doing little for the farm sector in the region. He lamented that the farmers are getting water to the farmlands from nearby ponds, rivers, and creeks by making use of pump sets.
“There is no water in my farmland. I have procured a pump set on hire to water the dry farmlands, paying Rs 200 per hour,” said an elderly farmer, observing that had there been an irrigation facility, they would not be facing such a problem almost every year.