Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Jun 18: Farmers in Kashmir who were worried over the delay in paddy transplantion due to water shortage are happy to see the intermittent rainfall for the past two days.
Farmers from different areas of Kashmir told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that their hopes were dashed as they were unable to transplant paddy due to shortage of water. However, they are happy now and are hopeful that they will be able to transplant paddy now.
Fayaz Ahmad, a farmer from Anantnag said that the season was unfavourable to them as there were very less rains in last three four months due to which water level in water bodies lowered.
He said that even this rain is not enough. But we have to wait and see if the rainfall is consistent.
Farmers who had already transplanted paddy and their fields had started drying up due to shortage of water have also taken a sigh of relief due to rains.
They are also hopeful that due to rains the water level in wager bodies will increase and all pumps can function normally on which our land depends for irrigation purposes.
It is pertinent to mention here that farmers in different parts were unable to transplant paddy due to low water level in different water bodies there by leaving dozens of lift schemes defunct.
Director Agriculture Kashmir Mohammad Iqbal Choudhary told KNO that much required rain is going to give relief to farmers.
He said that there is still time left in paddy transplantation and they are hopeful that all plantations will carried on paddy land.
“We aren’t utilising the single drop of ground water and we are using only surface water and with the help of rains, our catchments will be healthy and everything will be ok” he said—(KNO)
