Paddy growers wait in vain for rain in Kolar

Not many would know that paddy is cultivated in 8,000 hectares of the Kolar district, rather known for cultivation of horticulture crops.

However, this year, the farmers are hesitant to even take up paddy cultivation. Reason: poor rainfall. Unlike other districts of the State, where irrigation facility is provided for cultivation of paddy, in Kolar, it is rain-fed.  Sowing has been reported only in a few areas.

Tanks are the lifeline of the people and agriculture activity in the district, as it lacks major rivers. Only, a good rainfall ensures brimming tanks which in turn support paddy fields. This year owning to poor rainfall most of the tanks have gone dry.

Even otherwise, the farmers use to sow paddy crop. The good rainfall in the month of August and September would fill the tanks.

The farmers then would deweed the tanks and channelise the water to their fields to support paddy crop. The practice is common through out the district.

This year, the paddy has been sown only a few villages of Mulbagal, Srinivaspur and Bangarpet taluk, Elsewhere, paddy has not been sown. The situation is grave as paddy sown in other areas have started to dry in the absence of rain.

Transplanting

Though farmers have grown the paddy in nurseries (Votlu Pati in Kannada) they have not transplanted them into the fields. Paddy crops are first cultivated in nurseries and later transplanted into the fields. Dry tanks coupled with depleting groundwater has forced the farmers to rethink about paddy cultivation. As a result paddy crops are languishing in the nurseries. Some farmers who had purchased the seeds have not bothered to sown them.

45 per cent

Paddy has been sown only in 3,562 hectares of the total 8,000 hectares. The paddy cultivation has been reduced to just 45 per cent of the area. Even this area under cultivation is heavily dependent on good rainfall. The monsoon is nearing end and if it fails to rain during this period, there is no hope for paddy crop, a farmer said.
Paddy has been sown in 1,220 ha of the total 1,600 ha in Srinivaspur (76 per cent), 1,088 ha of the 1,750 ha in Bangarpet (62), 675 ha of the 2,450 ha in Mulbagal (28), 334 ha of the 1,000 ha in Malur and 245 ha of the 1,200 ha in Kolar (20).

Ragi

Contrary to the practice, Ragi has been sown in the tank bed due to lack of rain. Earlier paddy was sown in the bed. If the rain continues play truant, paddy cultivation will completely disappear in the district which is already known as drought-prone.