Farm pond helps Kadur farmer store rainwater

Setting a milestone through rainwater harvesting under the Krishi Bhagya Yojana of the state government, Nagarajappa, a farmer in Devarahalli no longer has to worry about shortage of water.

Instead, the farmer utilises the available rainwater to irrigate his farm.

Nagarajappa owns 7.5 acres of land. The borewell he had gotten sunk to irrigate his land is no longer useful.

Under the Krishi Bhagya Yojane, he had got a farm pond built, covering 26 sq m area and later laid a polyhouse adjacent to the farm pond.

Criticism

Although many had mocked him for his efforts at getting a farm pond in the farm, Nagarajappa was determined to store rainwater.

He ensured that the rainwater that fell on the polyhouse got collected in the farm pond. In times of good shower, the farm pond got filled.

He later planted 2,400 capsicum plants inside the polyhouse and harvested a food crop. In the last two months, he has harvested 70 quintals of capsicum and also expects a crop in the next three months. He has earned Rs 1,500 per quintal.

“The farm pond in the farm holds enough water and I may not face water crisis,” says Nagarajappa.

Other crops

Apart from this, he has cultivated 150 saplings each of mango and chikkoo, 20 of sweet lime, 450 of drumsticks and 120 saplings of gooseberry. He also rears five cows and gets 25 to 30 litres of milk a day. He earns Rs 33 per litre of milk supplied to Akshayakalpa, an institute to procure milk.

Nagarajappa says, “Farming has helped me lead a contented life. Scarcity of water is no more a problem in my land. Krishi Bhagya has made farming a profitable venture for me.”