<p>The farmers of the drought-hit Singapur village in the taluk have dug deep into their resources to save arecanut and other crops.</p>.<p>More than 50 borewells, all unauthorised, were sunk on one acre of groundwater-rich gomala, about 4 km from the village. Pipelines have been laid from the gomala to the arecanut plantations and farms in and around the village.</p>.<p>With more than 40 borewells yielding a good 2 to 3 inches of water, the farmers have found an answer to drought.</p>.<p>Each farmer is said to have spent Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh to sink borewell, to fix casing pipes, get power connection to the motor pump and to lay a pipeline from gomala to their fields.</p>.<p>Shivanna was tilling the gomala, located on the border of Singapur and Todaranalu, for the past 8 to 10 years. He used to cultivate maize on the said plot. In the summer of 2018, the farmer drilled a borewell. His efforts yielded a good volume of water, drawing the attention of the water-starved villagers to groundwater-rich gomala.</p>.<p>Wasting no time, a few farmers went ahead and sunk the borewells on gomala. Soon the rest followed suit.</p>.<p>“In 2018 summer, there were five borewells on gomala. The borewells yielded water even during the peak of summer. It is a miracle to see water in all borewells (close to 50) sunk on a tad over one acre of gomala,” said Ajjappa, a farmer.</p>.<p>B Gurushantappa, a farmer, told <span class="italic">DH</span>, “The farmers in the region were reeling under severe drought. The borewells sunk in the fields have dried. Arecanut grown on four acres has wilted. Most of us are knee-deep in debts. Last year, I had saved the crop spending hefty sum for tanker water. But the borewell water from gomala has come handy for many farmers this time.”</p>
<p>The farmers of the drought-hit Singapur village in the taluk have dug deep into their resources to save arecanut and other crops.</p>.<p>More than 50 borewells, all unauthorised, were sunk on one acre of groundwater-rich gomala, about 4 km from the village. Pipelines have been laid from the gomala to the arecanut plantations and farms in and around the village.</p>.<p>With more than 40 borewells yielding a good 2 to 3 inches of water, the farmers have found an answer to drought.</p>.<p>Each farmer is said to have spent Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh to sink borewell, to fix casing pipes, get power connection to the motor pump and to lay a pipeline from gomala to their fields.</p>.<p>Shivanna was tilling the gomala, located on the border of Singapur and Todaranalu, for the past 8 to 10 years. He used to cultivate maize on the said plot. In the summer of 2018, the farmer drilled a borewell. His efforts yielded a good volume of water, drawing the attention of the water-starved villagers to groundwater-rich gomala.</p>.<p>Wasting no time, a few farmers went ahead and sunk the borewells on gomala. Soon the rest followed suit.</p>.<p>“In 2018 summer, there were five borewells on gomala. The borewells yielded water even during the peak of summer. It is a miracle to see water in all borewells (close to 50) sunk on a tad over one acre of gomala,” said Ajjappa, a farmer.</p>.<p>B Gurushantappa, a farmer, told <span class="italic">DH</span>, “The farmers in the region were reeling under severe drought. The borewells sunk in the fields have dried. Arecanut grown on four acres has wilted. Most of us are knee-deep in debts. Last year, I had saved the crop spending hefty sum for tanker water. But the borewell water from gomala has come handy for many farmers this time.”</p>
