In drought-hit Bijapur, rain brings misery to farmers

Bijapur district, known for its perennial drought, received higher than usual rainfall in April. It received 56 mm rainfall in April, against the average of 31 mm.

Except for Bijapur, the other four taluks — Indi, Sindagi, Muddebihal and Basavana Bagewadi — received more rainfall than usual in the last month.

While Basavana Bagewadi received 50.30 mm against the usual amount of 4 mm, Indi received 94.60 mm as against 27mm, Muddebihal 55.60 mm as against 33mm and Sindagi 46.80 as against 24 mm. Bijapur taluk received 31.50 mm as against 37 mm.

Usually the district receives 3 mm rainfall each in January and February, 5 mm in March and 20 mm in April. But this year, the rainfall in January was nil, 4.8 mm in February, 35.7 mm in March and 15.5 in April.

Thus there was more rainfall in February and March but less in January and April.

More rainfall, however, brought havoc. Lightning killed one person each in Gotakakhandaki village in Muddebihal taluk, and in Anjutagi, Gornal, Hattalli and Lalasang villages of Indi taluk.

Two buffaloes in Chikkarugi village and another in Madari village of Sindhagi taluk became its victims on May 4.

The district witnessed devastating hailstorm and rainfall in February and March.

In Devar Hipparagi village of Sindhagi taluk, two people died when a house collapsed.

Besides, 222 animals—four oxen, five cows, seven buffaloes, 54 sheep, 52 goats and 100 hens—died in the hailstorm and rain. Also, 736 houses were partially damaged.

The rain and hailstorm damaged standing agriculture crops ready for harvesting in almost every taluk, with Indi, Bijapur and Sindhagi being the worst hit.

The break-up of crops lost is jowar (millet) on 55,581 hectares worth Rs 90.04 crore, maize on 15,714 hectares worth Rs 8.66 crore, wheat on 28,962 hectares worth Rs 48-87 crore, Bengal gram (chicken pea) on 37,745 hectares worth Rs 100.16 crore, sugar cane on 4,216 hectares worth Rs 105.40 crore, cotton on 4,265 hectares worth 30.70 crore and oil seeds on 459 hectares worth 64.26 lakh.

Besides, nearly 75,384 tonnes of grape crop ready for harvesting on 4,188 hectares worth Rs 196 crore, 4,125 tonnes of pomegranate on 375 hectares worth Rs 33 crore, 73,161 tonnes of lemon on 2,927 hectares worth Rs 87.79 crore, 10,504 tonnes of onion worth Rs 10,50 crore, 5,179 tonnes of banana worth Rs 5.18 crore and 13,575 tonnes of vegetable worth Rs 5.31 crore were lost in the hailstorm and unseasonal rain.

The government gave compensation to the families of those killed by lightning, but for the large number of farmers whose standing crops were lost, compensation has still been a mirage.