Jahangeer Ganaie

Paddy fields dry up in Pulwama, livelihood of families in danger

Paddy fields dry up in Pulwama, livelihood of families in danger
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Pulwama: Paddy sapling on hundreds of kanals of land are drying up due to the non availability of water for irrigation purposes in Tokuna, Beighpora and adjacent areas in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Locals said that the paddy saplings sown this month have started to dry up owing to non availability of facilities to irrigate the paddy fields.
The residents said they started planting paddy sapling as the lift irrigation scheme was functional till the recent past. “But once completed, the scheme on which our whole land depends has gone defunct,” said Gulzar Ahmad, a local resident of Beighpora.
The residents said they made repeated requests to concerned authorities but to no avail.
“Livelihood of hundreds of families is in danger as most of the families are dependent on agricultural produce for their livelihood and when our fields are drying what they will eat and earn,” he said.
The locals requested the concerned authorities to look into their grievances and ensure that arrangements are made to start a new lift irrigation scheme for the entire area.
“Or the authorities should provide any other alternative arrangements for irrigation purposes at an earliest,” the resident said.
An official pleaded helplessness saying that the water level of Jhelum was receding with each passing day.
“Due to this we are unable to do anything. Several schemes are defunct presently and we are trying our best to restart them,” the official said.


Jahangeer Ganaie

Jahangeer Ganaie is a reporter and covers regional news and can be contacted [email protected]

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