As Congress Govt falters in Karnataka, farmers forced to use water tankers

In a desperate measure to save the standing crops, farmers are now hiring water tankers.

Hyderabad: Vexed with insufficient power supply after a deficit rainfall season, many farmers in Yadgir, Raichur, Kalaburagi and neighbouring districts in Karnataka are now being forced to use water tankers, spending huge sums of money, to save their standing crops.

Due to the insufficient power supply, farmers are unable to use borewells in their fields and many are worried that their crops might dry up. In a desperate measure to save the standing crops, farmers are now hiring water tankers.

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“There is no option left for the farmers. Though using water tankers is not financially feasible, farmers are being forced to depend on the tankers to save their crops,” Kalaburagi Sugarcane Farmers Association president Ramesh Hugar told Telangana Today.

In addition to Rs.300 for water charges, farmers have to pay Rs.3,600 towards tanker and transportation charges. Generally, tanker operators shuttle for six trips per acre, he said.

“This is an additional burden on the farmers, who are trying to save the crops only to recover their investments and not looking for profits,” Hugar said.

Sugarcane is cultivated in about 24,000 hectares in Kalaburagi and farmers need sufficient water supply to cultivate their crops. Power was being supplied for barely about three hours and this was not sufficient to operate borewells in the fields, he added.

Like in Kalaburagi, many farmers in Yadgir, Raichur and other districts too are relying on water tankers. Cotton, red gram and other crops are cultivated extensively in these areas. Videos of farmers using tankers to supply water to their fields are being shared on different social media platforms.

Most of these districts are also facing severe drinking water issues as well. In June early this year, Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah had reviewed the drinking water problem and progress of the Jal Jeevan Mission in eight districts of Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, and Ballari Dakshina Kannada. Drinking water was being provided through tankers in 322 villages and rented private borewells in 148 villages in 15 districts, he had said.