Scanty rains and powercut wither farmers' hopes

Farmers are in despair as rains fail in the region

Though gust winds and clouds sow the seeds of hope occasionally, rains continued to play truant for the last 15 days.

Besides, the farmers here are dependent on rain as there is no permanent solution for water crisis in the taluk. The biggest tanks in Betamangala and Ramasagara taluks have also dried up.    Those who were dependent on pump sets and borewells to irrigate their fields are a worried lot as power is not supplied regularly. As the crops in the fields have begun to wither, the distraught farmers have been eagerly waiting for rains.

They have dropped their plans to grow tomato, banana, maize, sunflower, groundnut, vegetables, sugar cane and paddy, as the power required to irrigate them is not being supplied. They are now in despair over the withering crops in the field.   The life of farmers, who had prepared the field and stored the fertilisers has come to a standstill. Unlike the situation this year, the farmers had completed the sowing works and were waiting for the fertilisers during the corresponding period last year.