Pulwama, June 12: Many farmers in Lelhara village, located in the Pulwama district of South Kashmir, have made an urgent appeal to authorities for the immediate restoration of irrigation facilities crucial to their paddy fields.
The village, known for its significant paddy production and situated near the historic town of Kakapora on one bank of river Jhelum , has been grappling with a disrupted irrigation supply for the past five days.
Mohammad Akram, a local farmer, expressing concerns, said that his three kanals of paddy land have been left without irrigation water since he transplanted the paddy saplings.
“Without proper irrigation, our crops are at severe risk of wilting, which would be a significant blow to our livelihoods,” Akram lamented.
He mentioned that approximately 32 kanals of land in the Barzul area face the threat of drying up.
Lateef Ahmad, another farmer from the village, highlighted the precarious situation in Marg and Mahinaerd areas, where around 40 kanals of land have yet to receive adequate irrigation due to the water scarcity.
The residents conveyed to Rising Kashmir that the transplanting season for paddy saplings in Lelhara, typically completed by the third week of May, has been delayed in certain patches due to the inadequate water supply.
The residents said that the Lelhara irrigation scheme, essential for the village’s agricultural activities, is equipped with two 40 horsepower pumps.
However, the residents reported that one of the pumps has been out of service due to a motor burnout.
Although the motor has recently been repaired, the water supply remains insufficient as the pump struggles to operate effectively due to a drop in the water level of the Jhelum river.
Farmers are deeply worried about the potential damage to their crops and have urged authorities to address the issue promptly.
They have requested the restoration of a reliable irrigation system to prevent further agricultural losses.
Nazir Ahmad Bhat, the Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Division in Pulwama, said that the damaged motor has been repaired and efforts are underway to restore the irrigation facilities.
“We are working diligently to ensure that the irrigation system is fully operational. We expect the supply to be restored within the next couple of hours,” Bhat said.
