Padmapur: Due to poor rainfall, paddy saplings across several hectares in Basudevpur in Bhadrak have started wilting leaving farmers worried. If there is no rain within two or three days all saplings will die, farmers said.
Paddy blight was reported from Padmapur, Sugo, Edtal, Jagannathprasad, Lunga, Laxmidaspur, Balimeda and Rajagharapokhari.
According to reports, agricultural activities in the current kharif season have been hampered by scanty rainfall in these areas.
Meanwhile, hundreds of lift irrigation points are dysfunctional. The farming community is worried over the drought like situation. They said the government has not come forward to set right the lift irrigation points during a crisis like this.
Reports said from the first week of Shravan till date, the area has not received sufficient rainfall, leading to dryness.
The agriculture department has set a target to cultivate paddy across 34,400 hectares in Basudevpur. But agricultural activities are confined to just 3500 hectares now. Paddy saplings have been raised on 2724 hectares while saplings have been damaged in 12 hectares.
Irrigation facility is available for 16,000 hectares, but most of the systems are not working as canals are choked.
There about 162 lift irrigation points in this block. But most LI points are defunct as electricity supply is a problem. In some cases, heavy electricity bills have become a problem for farmers. Farmers having meters at their LI points complained of excessive billing by the distribution company. Water in rivers like Kanchudi, Gamhei, Dhala and Mantei have turned saline as they have not received sufficient rainfall this year.
Many farmers said the government should take steps to provide electricity at all LI points to make them functional.
Block Assistant Agriculture Officer Jagabandhu Mishra said that if it does not rain within a few days, LI points can be used to save some crops.
PNN
