Farmers allege unavailability of irrigation water in Anantnag

Srinagar, June 22: Farmers in several areas south Kashmir have alleged shortage of irrigation facilities for crops, especially paddy.
Farmers from Jablipora Bijbehara, Anantnag said agriculture land has been affected due to unavailability of irrigation water this year and urged authorities for sufficient irrigational facilities.
“We do not have irrigation water this year. The farmers are worried about the paddy cultivation this year as they are yet to start it,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, a farmer.
The affected people said that they are yet to plant paddy saplings on hundreds of kanals of land due to defunct irrigation schemes and this is affecting hundreds of families.
“We went to different officials of the Irrigation and Revenue Department but no one listened to us. They just give us fake assurances,” he said.
The farmers are worried this year as there is no alternative source of irrigation water for the farmers saying that they have been neglected over the years.
“We live near the railway station. We have no other source of income than farming. Where can we go this time,” the farmers said and appealed to the DC Anantnag to look into the matter and take appropriate measures and restore irrigation water.
Junaid Ahmad, a resident of Dooru said that the paddy land in the area often faces shortage irrigation water facilities in summer months.
“We have at least 25 kanals of land. There is also huge land in the area that faces irrigation problems. Few years back the government had constructed a dam in Verinag but that also does not fulfil the needs of the farmers,” he said.
“We don’t have any irrigation facility available for our agricultural land due to which we suffer in the summer season and have to rely only on rainwater,” he said.
The farmers also said that due to the non-availability of irrigation facilities, many farmers in the area have been forced to shift to other crops.
Chief Engineer (CE), Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC) Department Kashmir, Naresh Kumar said that no one has approached him so far.
He said that all the irrigation schemes are working and there is sufficient water available. The CE assured that he would look into the matter.