Farmers in Tarikere worried as drought persists

The drought in the last two years has destroyed the crops in the taluk. The farmers are worried over their future.

In addition, some of the cattle have already been sent to abattoir while the youngsters have left the villages in search of better living.

On an average, the taluk receives 806.3 mm annual rainfall. However, this year, the taluk received only 631.8 mm rainfall. Of the 29 water bodies, the water-level has reached rock bottom in all the ponds except at that of Doddakere. With the intense heat, the plants are expected to go dry in the month of March and April.

Although the farmers had harvested paddy, jowar, maize, ragi and groundnut during monsoon, they could not reap the benefit of the harvest. During the Rabi season, the farmers had sown jowar, chickpea, horse gram on 5,823-hectare land. However, the crops have already been lost on 1,635 hectare. The farmers have lost onion and green chilly crops at Ajjampura and Shivani while in Lingadahalli hobli, the farmers have lost the potato, green peas and vegetable crops owing to the drought.

Commercial crops like arecanut have also been damaged at Doranalu and Lingadahalli hobli. An arecanut tree requires 20 litres of water per day. “With drought, even after sinking a borewell 800-foot deep, we do not get water. In such a scenario, how do we nurture the plants. By pledging the gold and silver ornaments in the bank, we are hiring water tankers to supply water to the crops,” said farmers.

Officials said 3,000 farmers have registered their names under the Fasal Bima Yojana for compensation for loss of crops.

Tahsildar J P Manje Gowda said, “Crops across 15,000 hectares of land crops have been damaged during monsoon. A report on the loss of crops has been submitted to the state government through the deputy commissioner. The loss of crops during the Rabi season is being assessed jointly by the Horticulture, Agriculture and Revenue Department officials.”