Farmers unhappy with release of water into canals after end of sowing season

Officials of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam released the second installment of water into the canals of the district from the Krishnarajasagar (KRS) dam on Wednesday.

However, farmers and experts are of the opinion that the water released will not be of much use to the farmers as the season for sowing paddy is over.

The water can now be used for growing only ragi, jowar, horsegram and other short-term crops.

As the monsoon failed in June and July, the farmers could not sow paddy. The sowing target was set at
two lakh hectare area but only 50% has been achieved due to non-availability of water.

As the government delayed the release of water into the canals, the farmers had staged protests. The government decided to release water after a high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, was held on August 9.

The release of water was with a rider that farmers should not grow either paddy or sugarcane.

The second rotation of water has been released from September 13. However, it is not of much use to the farmers as paddy cultivation is not possible now.

‘Anti-farmer policy’

Shivakumar, a farmer, said, there were instances when ryots cultivated paddy when the water level in the KRS dam stood as low as 90 ft. “This year it has crossed the 100 ft mark but we are not able
to grow even one crop.  This shows the anti-farmer policy of the government”, he said.

Honnegowda, another farmer, explained that the water released now is of no use for farmers. Even that flows to Tamil Nadu, he said.

Shivakumar, a scientist at the VC Farm, explained that the water being released now does not benefit the farmers as paddy season is over.

“The excess water may even destroy short-term crops. Hence, the government should save the water and release it in December for the summer crop which would benefit scores of farmers,” he said.

DH News Service