Pampore: While celebrations of Paddy Day Plantation contine , the farmers in Shaar Shali villagers in Pampore area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district face drought-like conditions as their paddy fields are dry due to clogging of lift irrigation canal.
Due to this scarcity hundreds of farmers are in distress and fear a crop loss as they are about to miss the plantation season.
An elderly resident of Shaar Shali Ghulam Mohammad Wani told Kashmir Reader: that our village, Shaar Shali used to receive irrigational water from a canal originating from Lethpora, they used to release irrigation early but this year they delayed it due to choking of the canal,
“This year our paddy saplings are drying in nurseries, we are in distress as to what to do because our subsistence is solely dependent on paddy cultivation,” he said
We appeal to Deputy Commissioner Pulwama and Chief engineer irrigation department to direct concerned officers of the irrigation department to clean the canal and release water for around 500 kanals of land in Shaar Shali village.”
Another resident Sabzar Ahmad Lone told Kashmir Reader that they face drought-like conditions.
He said that irrigation canals are supplied to neighbouring Ladhoo and Mandakpal villages .
He said that their village is only a few kilometers away from Mandakpal.
“Last year at this time we had planted paddy saplings in our fields, but this year we fear our paddy nurseries if the department fails to release water to our fields.
We appeal to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Deputy Commissioner Pulwama Baseer-Ul-Haq Choudhary to intervene in the matter and save hundreds of farmers from distress,” Sabzar said.
Meanwhile, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Construction Division Pampore, Nisar Ahmad told Kashmir Reader that only three pumps out of five are functioning for the lift irrigation scheme due to which water supply to the area has been affected.
“We have started cleaning of the canal and we are hopeful that water will be released for Shaar Shali in a couple of days,” he said.

BILAL HABIB