Ensure water provisions for DK before river diversions - Farmers speak

Ensure water provisions for DK before river diversions - Farmers speak

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 16, 2014:   Farmer leader Ravikiran Punacha said  farmers of the district will adamantly protest against any attempt to take away water from the district without proper long term provision for at least drinking water t the district. Dakshina Kannada district faces acute shortage of water during peak summer in spite of receiving high rainfall during monsoon.

 

 

 

However, the government is talking of Yetthinahole project to distribute 24 tmc.ft water to distant districts of Kolar and Chikballapura. The government should ensure proper drinking water and irrigation facilities to the district first before diverting water from river Nethravathi, said farmers at a meeting convened by DK Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim July 15.


The farmers demanded that crop loans should be made easily available to farmers and farmers who failed to repay the loans should not be harassed by publishing photos in the newspapers etc... Publishing of the photos will erode the dignity of farmers and farmers will be forced to end their lives; then the DC directed Lead Bank Chief Manager Amarnath Hegde to ensure that no banks publish the photographs of the farmers.

Stating that arecanut growers have incurred huge loss following fruit rot disease and yellow leaf disease affecting the plantations, farmers said that the government should set up arecanut development board. There is a need to conduct a survey under arecanut cultivation in the region. Horticulture department Deputy Director Yogesh said that a report seeking integrated package for the arecanut growers has been submitted to the government.

On reduced area under paddy cultivation, Jilla Krishika Samaja President S D Sampath Samrajya said that the paddy yield is less in Dakshina Kannada compared to other districts. For the food security of the district, there is a need to give emphasis on paddy cultivation. it is urgent to convince the government to implement Kerala model to provide incentive to paddy farmers.


DC directs banks not to publish photographs of farmers who can not pay back loans, Zilla Panchayat CEO Tulasi Maddineni has said that farmers can sort out their problems at the Grama Snehi programme initiated by the zilla panchayat in every zilla panchayat constituency on every first Tuesday of a month. Arecanut cultivation is included under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) wherein crop extension and inter cropping can be taken up.

A farmer said that subsidy for machinery is not helping the farmers. Instead of the government recommending a particular shop or the purchase, it would be better to give subsidy for the purchase made by farmers from any dealers.

Lead Bank Chief Manager Amarnath Hegde said that any problem with regard to crop loan, farmers can contact him directly at the Syndicate Bank in Hampankatta. Phone number: 0824-2445755 or 9449860916.

Additional DC Sadashiva Prabhu and Agriculture Joint Director Kempe Gowda among others were present and a good number of public too.