Bhawanipatna: At a time when farmers in most parts of the state are complaining about the drought-like situation in the state courtesy shortage of rainfall during the initial stage of agricultural activities, 22 farmers of Dumuria panchayat under Bhawanipatna block under Kalahandi district are sitting pretty cool.
Instead of depending on rain, what they did is they with the help of the Soil Conservation and Watershed Development department dug up a pond. They have been irrigating over 50 acres and have become successful at keeping the spectre of drought at bay.
The drought-like situation due to scarcity of rain during every kharif season is a recurring feature associated with Dumuria panchayat. Every year, farmers of this panchayat begin paddy cultivation by taking pain and borrowing money.
Later, due to lack of rain, paddy saplings go waste, breaking the economic backbone of the farmers. The farmers of this panchayat solely depend on rain for agricultural activities inasmuch as the panchayat is a non-irrigated area.
This year, 22 farmers decided to do something so that they would no longer have to depend on rain water. They sought help from the Soil Conservation and Watershed Development department and dug up a pond.
With the rain water collected in this pond, they now irrigate 50 acres and besides cultivating paddy; they also rear fish and grow vegetables. The pond was dug up under the government’s Farm Pond Scheme and over 300 job card holders were engaged in the work under MGNREGS.
Farmers of nearby villages are all praise for these 22 farmers and it is learnt that they have decided to take a leaf out of the book of these farmers.
PNN