Gadwal farmers buy tanker water to save crops, yet supply woes persist

Farmers in Jogulamba Gadwal district are battling a severe water crisis as falling groundwater levels and failed borewells threaten standing crops. In several villages, including Tuppatralla, farmers are spending heavily on tanker water to sustain cultivation.

Jogulamba Gadwal: Despite spending heavily to arrange water for their fields through tankers, farmers in Jogulamba Gadwal district remain worried about saving their crops amid a worsening water crisis.

With groundwater levels plummeting, borewells running dry and intense heat causing crops to wither, farmers are forced to purchase water and transport it to their fields. However, their efforts are proving inadequate to meet the crops’ water requirements.

---

The situation is particularly grim in Tuppatralla village of Ieeja Municipality, where farmers are spending heavily on water tankers. They often transport water to their fields in tractors in the dead of night in a desperate attempt to save their crops.

Local farmers Venkatanna and Viresh are among those struggling to protect their chilli crops. After their existing water sources failed to meet irrigation needs, they drilled three new borewells, but none yielded water.

They are now purchasing around 10 tankers of water every day in an effort to save their crops. Despite the considerable expenditure, uncertainty over the harvest continues to haunt them.

The crisis extends beyond Tuppatralla to several other villages in Ieeja mandal, where farmers are suffering losses after borewells failed to yield water.

Already burdened by cultivation costs, farmers are now incurring additional expenses to procure water. With borewells failing and tanker supplies proving insufficient, many are facing mounting financial distress and uncertainty returns on their investment.