Farmers in Jammu are worried about the creeping dryness amid paddy season since the irrigation canals are running dry. Irrigation department allegedly failed to provide the farmers with the requisite facilities in the peak season making farmers against the department.
A farmer said that whenever they need water it is not available despite the government spending huge amounts of money on construction and renovation of canals. “The dry irrigation canals are affecting the plantation in more ways than one”, he said. Situation is becoming quite grim as in many areas paddy plantation has been kept on hold due to water scarcity.
A senior government official said this situation is being rectified on a priority basis and soon supply will be restored.
But farmers alleged that plans are not made in a way they should be which has caused this situation to arise, moreover, the executing agencies aren’t checking up on the cause due to which the irrigation supplies to the cultivable fields are getting affected.
It is pertinent to mention that sections 13 and 14 of the Jammu & Kashmir Irrigation Act, 1978 stipulate that while preparing the irrigation schemes, the estimated cost, realignment of any watercourse or existing water course, the site of the outlet, the particulars of the owners, occupiers and beneficiaries to be benefited and other person who may be affected is to be set out in the draft scheme.
Besides, every irrigation scheme, after its preparation, is to be published so as to invite objections and suggestions within 30 days. After consideration of such objections and suggestions, the scheme shall be approved either as it was originally published or in such modified form as may be considered fit and published.
As per official figures, revenue receipt witnessed a decrease out of the seven major irrigation projects of Rs 0.30 crore and Rs 0.05 crore in respect of the Ranbir Canal and Partap Canal respectively, as compared to previous year. After meeting the working expenses and interest charges, the projects suffered a net loss of Rs 3.66 crore (0.79 per cent of the capital outlay).