Telkoi: The farmers in tribal-dominated Telkoi in Keonjhar are worried about the possibility of drought following insufficient rain in the region.
Only 20 per cent of the irrigation-fed farmlands have been cultivated till date. Farming activities like sapling and nurturing have not been carried out in the remaining 80 per cent of farmlands due to insufficient rain.
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The vast stretches of uncultivated farmlands have now turned into grazing ground for cattle. According to agriculture department, there are 23,850 acres of cultivable land in the block, comprising 22 panchayats.
The area, which recorded 147 mm rainfall in June and 58 mm in July, hasn’t received any rainfall at all since August. Although the minor irrigation department has set up nine check dams, the farmers couldn’t properly use the facilities due to insufficient water in dams. The dams are supposed to provide irrigation facility to 12 acres of land here but the lack of rainfall affected them as well. The farmlands that depend on irrigation have remained untilled, it was learnt.
“There is no water at all in most of the farmlands. The lands which have access to water have been cultivated already, but the paddy saplings will ruin completely if there is no rain in a week,” rued Narayan Pradhan, a local farmer.
According to Bhadrasen Pradhan, several minor irrigation projects are there in the area, but water is not enough to meet the needs of farmers.
Agriculture officer Bhimsen Singh said insufficient rainfall was recorded in the area this year. “The situation of the farm sector has tuned grave. Regular reports about the rainfall and condition of the farmland are being submitted to the district administration. If there are no rains in a few days, there is little hope for farmers,” Singh added. PNN
