PAMPORE: For the past 10 years saffron growers in Pampore have been waiting for completion of the sprinkle irrigation facility, promised by the government to boost production of saffron, a crop which has been battling various troubles for the past many years.
Local growers told Kashmir Reader that in 2010 the Saffron Mission was launched for revival of saffron cultivation in Kashmir, with Rs 411 crore sanctioned by the central government for it.
Under the project, 126 borewells were to be dug for providing sprinkle irrigation to saffron fields.
While the project was launched for five years, GoI approved its extension by two more years after the J&K Government failed to meet the deadline of 2015. Later it was again extended by two years in 2018.
There is about 3200 hectares of land in Pampore tehsil alone on which Saffron is grown, while total land in J&K UT under saffron cultivation is 3,715 hectares.
Abdul Majeed, President of the All J&K Saffron Growers Development Cooperative Marketing Association, told Kashmir Reader that sprinkle irrigation is necessary for saffron in view of drought-like conditions which have prevailed in Kashmir since 2014. He said that with sprinkle irrigation farmers will be able to get a new crop 10 days before the usual time and in more quantity.
“The mechanical engineering department has provided irrigation facility to some farmers but a major portion of the cultivated area is yet to be covered under irrigation,” he said.
Majeed said that the J&K Agriculture Department fulfilled its obligations but the centre didn’t release funds on time.
Director of Agriculture, Kashmir, Altaf Aijaz Andrabi told Kashmir Reader that 52 sprinkle irrigation system are fully operational.
“We are 50 percent short. By end of December this year it will be 100 percent complete,” he said, adding that there were certain issues with the Mechanical Engineering department, which have been resolved.
“The sprinkle system will be handed over to growers this year. Irrigation water is important to increase production,” he said.
Mohammad Maqbool, AEE at Mechanical Engineering Department (MED), said that the project was with MED Anantnag till 2017. “The project was transferred to our division in May 2017. As many as 98 borewells are ready to be handed over to farmers, and we are working on 24 borewells more,” he said, assuring that the remaining work will be completed by April 2021.
Maqbool added that the Agriculture Department is yet to pay them Rs 17 crore for the borewells.
Bashir Ahmad Alliae, Scientist at Research Center SKUAST, told Kashmir Reader that water is essential for saffron production at the appropriate time.
“Irrigation is suitable for saffron during the last week of August,” he said, adding that if water is provided to saffron when it is needed, it will not only increase production but will also save corms from rotting.
Due to shortage of irrigational water, saffron growers in Pampore and adjacent villages are complaining of delay in saffron blooming. The growers informed that by this time of the year, they would have reaped the first crop of saffron.
“This year the first bloom has been delayed by around 10 days because of lack of rain or sprinkle water during August,” the growers said.
They also feared significant reduction in saffron production.
For past many years saffron production has seen a decrease in production, Fallah Behbood Committee President Bashir Ahmad told Kashmir Reader.
The Fallah Behboodh committee Pampore had also appealed to the visiting Director of Skill Development during the recent My Town My Pride programme at Townhall Pampore to probe why after 10 years sprinkle irrigation system was still incomplete.

BILAL HABIB