Jamankira: Paddy cultivation in most parts of Jamankira block in Sambalpur has been largely affected by insufficient rainfall.
In the current year, Bankashala dam in Gundurucha panchayat has little water in the reservoir to feed the paddy fields, farmers lamented. Farmers in the region held a meeting over possible drought situation as the monsoon has done a vanishing act across the district.
“As the dam has no water, canals are unable irrigate the farmlands. The crops will not survive in this situation. Drought is sure to befall in the region,” farmers said.
Farmers demanded that the administration take stock of the farming condition and take necessary steps to declare the region as drought zone.
They said that they have no hope of harvesting paddy this year as farmlands are dry and farm activities have come to a halt. Post-transplantation activities have failed to progress due to scanty rainfall in July and August, they said.
The amount of rainfall came down in July. In August, there was hardly any rain, leading to possibility of drought. “Paddy saplings have wilted. The situation is worse even in irrigated areas like ours,” some farmers said.
There is an urgent need for a survey over paddy farming and immediate provision of financial help to farmers, who have already been left high and dry due to prolonged pandemic related difficulties.
PNN