Farmers of Haripal and Balagarh fear massive loss of paddy crops
The Statesman | 4 August 2024
Incessant rainfall and release of water from the DVC have inundated paddy crops in thousands of acres of agricultural land area in Haripal and Balagarh. The farmers of Haripal lamented that they have been completely ruined. “We raised the paddy crops with loan money. The entire paddy crops are now under water which will get rotten soon,” a farmer said.
The farmers also pointed out that the Dakatiye irrigation canal was not reclaimed completely. It has lost its original depth as well as its excesse water holding capacity. They said the canal soon overflowed after the release of massive volume of water from DVC, inundating paddy crops in thousands of acres of agricultural land in Kalubati, Kanakpur, Parvatipur, Kamrajarajpur in the Haripal block.
“We have lost the only means of our livelihood. We are ruined and now burdened with loan amount. We desperately need help and compensation from the state agricultural department to survive,” said a farmer. The Haripal panchayat samity vice president Bablu Gayen blamed the DVC for releasing large volume of water without prior information. Mr Gayen however agreed that the Dakatiya irrigation canal requires complete reclamation to increase its water holding capacity.
He said: “We will soon take appropriate steps to help out the distressed farmers in consultation with the district administration.” TMC district general secretary Shyama Prasad Roy Banerjee said the incessant rain inundated thousands of acres of agricultural land with paddy crops. The farmers of Balagarh are also hit by massive losses. Different kinds of vegetables have also been lost, he said.