Shopian: Trees on hundreds of acres kanals of land are about to dry due to the lack of irrigation facilities at Safnagri village of South Kashmir’s district Shopian.
Orchardists in the area told Kashmir Reader that the problem of irrigation facilities in the area has occurred due to the damages in canal years ago, however, despite repeated demonstrations their problem was not solved.
They said that the prevailing drought conditions have now resulted in drying up of many fruit trees thus losses to the People.
There are people who have dug tube wells but a poor man isn’t in a condition to bear these expenses to irrigate their orchards. “If we arrange water from anyone’s well, we have to sell a piece of land,” said anguished orchardist, Ghulam Muhammad.
Javid Ahmad Dar, another local said that even water for animals isn’t available in the area. “We already are facing hardships for drinking water because of languishing water supply scheme and now the lack of irrigation water hit our lone source of economy as our fields have also dried now and tress are withering,” he said.
Locals said that authorities have not to build a full canal but it needs repairs at some places so as to make it functional and to ease our woes for future.
Tehsildar Zainpora, Fida Muhammad Bhat told Kashmir Reader that he will take up this matter with irrigation department.

Raashid Hassan