Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Paddy farmers in a spot

Special Correspondent

Water release into canal may be stopped today Water release into canal may be stopped today

GULBARGA: The decision of the Irrigation Consultative Committee (ICC) of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) to stop release of water into the canal from the Narayanpur dam from Thursday has landed paddy farmers in a tight spot.

In the command area served by the Narayanpur dam through the Indi, Shahapur, Jewargi and Mudbol canals and the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal, there are standing crops on nearly four lakh hectares.

Crops will be affected

If water supply is stopped, the standing crops are likely to be affected. Farmers who have taken the risk of growing the second crop for the second year in succession in the hope that authorities will release water beyond the deadline are likely to burn their fingers badly. Sources told The Hindu here on Wednseday that paddy has been cultivated on more than 80 per cent of the command area, which is prohibited. The remaining area is dominated by the groundnut and other less water-intensive crops.

Ban on paddy cultivation

Paddy farmers cannot demand release of water in the canals since they have not been permitted to grow the crop in the command area. UKP officials have said that they will have to stop the release of water into canals to take up mandatory maintenance and repair of main canals and the distributaries during the lean period before the onset of the monsoon. The Irrigation Department officials have also found this as an effective weapon to dissuade farmers from growing paddy instead of punitive action.

Despite enormous pressure by the powerful lobby of paddy growers last year on the Government to extend the last date for closure of gates, the then Water Resources Minister, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, did not budge. He fully backed the decision of Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigama Ltd. (KBJNL) to stop water release on March 28 last year.

However, it remains to be seen whether the change of guard in the State will change the situation and whether the Government will buckle under pressure of the paddy lobby to extend dates of closure of gates of the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal (NLBC) and Narayanpur Right Bank Canal (NRBC).

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