JOIN US With fast approaching summer, the plateau region in the district has started feeling the heat. Ajjampura is facing acute shortage of water. The ground water-level has declined drastically.
The arecanut growers are struggling to save the standing crops in Ajjampura-Shivani hobli.
With the shortage of rainfall and increase in temperature, arecanut plantations have started drying.
It can survive only if trees are watered. The borewells have gone dry.
The sinking of new borewells are not yielding any result in the form of water. Instead of water, one is getting dust and soil.
More than 35 borewells were sunk for 600 feet deep in Javoor Hosahalli recently. However, none of the borewells could get an inch of water. The tanks in Javoor and Bukkambudi have also gone dry.
“We had expected income from arecanut farming and had spent in lakhs for sinking borewells, planting the saplings and installing drip irrigation facility five to six years ago. With the shortage of water, we are incurring a huge loss. At the same time erratic supply of electricity is also affecting us,” said a farmer.
“With the decline in rainfall, the tanks did not fill this year. There is no water for the cattle to drink in streams. The green pastor has disappeared in Ajjampura. I do not know what to do?” said farmer Manju.
Farmer Prashanth Kumar said “the government should initiate measures to reclaim the encroached lakes. Silt should be removed, to facilitate the storage of water. There is a need to construct check dams to store water for the summer. The check dams will also help in improving the ground water level.”