This Article is From Jul 08, 2009

Hope fades, farmers tap groundwater

Hope fades, farmers tap groundwater
Chandigarh:

Normally, Gurmail Singh would cultivate paddy around the last week of June but with below normal rainfall this year, he is late by three weeks already.

His fields near Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab are not irrigated and now Gurmail is left with no option but to dig out groundwater.

He, along with two other farmers, has borrowed more than one lakh rupees from a private money-lender for boring the fields.

"There is no rainfall. We have lost hope. We had to go in for fresh boring. Let's see now," said Gurmail Singh, farmer.

Gurmail's neighbour, Jagdish, lost one lakh rupees last year after incessant rain spoiled his paddy. He fears for his crop again -- this time without rain.

"If it doesn't rain, our crop will fail again and we will be in more debt. It will become more difficult. On top of it, there is no electricity; there is heavy curtailment," said Jagdish Singh, farmer.

Crop crisis:

  • 80% of water for crops depends on monsoon
  • Below-normal rain may cut produce by 60%
  • Rainfall less by almost 40% in June-July

When there are no rains water is the only option, it's a luxury which only few farmers can afford but then ground water too cannot fulfill 100 per cent need.

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