Water Shortage: Seedlings sown over thousands of acres of land drying up

BUDGAM — Seedlings sown over thousands of acres of land are drying up in Kanihama block of Tehsil BK Pora here in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

Farmers said they will protest on big scale in case district administration and Irrigation and Flood Control Department failed to restore the water supply.

Farmers said that paddy fields in Kanihama block received water supply from Kralpora via Marvel Lift Irrigation. “This canal was 16 feet wide but due to illegal constructions on its banks, it has shrunk to 3 feet only. Before water can reach to paddy fields, the farmers living on the banks of this canal block this water and irrigate their personal vegetable patches,” they said.

They said that due to shortage of water, paddy seedlings sown over thousands of acres of land are drying up and added that the growers would suffer heavy loss if water was not immediately released for these paddy fields.

They accused the irrigation officials of callous attitude and said that an official in Irrigation Division Pampore made them wait for four hours and when they raised the matter with him, he took the matter lightly.

District Development Commissioner Budgam, Shahbaz Mirza said that illegal structures that have come up on either side of the canal will be removed and water will be released for these paddy fields.

When contacted, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Iftikar Ahmed Kakroo appealed these farmers to visit his office so that he could get first hand information and will address the problem of these farmers.