Amid high temperature, paddy fields dry up in Pulwama

PULWAMA — Amid high temperature, the paddy sapling sown on hundreds of kanals of land are drying up in Pulwama district as the pump station through which the land was getting water has got eroded.

Locals from Hakripora, Hassanwani, Tulsibagh and Kowsibagh said that the paddy sapling that was sown last month has started to dry up as there are no facilities available for irrigating the land under paddy cultivation.

They said that before one week, the pump station at Hassanwani got out of order due to soil erosion and in absence of irrigation water, paddy fields have started drying up.

“We don’t have any source of income and we are entirely dependent on our agricultural land. If our fields dry up completely, we will die of starvation,” locals said. “We have visited the offices of higher-ups and have made repeated requests to them but to no avail.”

“Why can’t the government start an alternative irrigation scheme in the area, so as to mitigate our problems in order for the villagers to utilize their land,” Mohammad Hafiz, a local said.

The locals requested the concerned authorities to look into their grievance. “Either administration should make arrangements to start an alternative lift irrigation scheme or make the existing one functional for the entire area or provide any other alternative arrangements for irrigation purposes at the earliest,” they said.

Executive Engineer, Irrigation Division Awantipora, Harpinder Singh said that he visited the area today along with other officials.

“An alternative arrangement is being made and work on it is going on war-footing basis,” she said, adding, “It will take four to five days in execution.”