Polythene bags are harmful for water bodies, birds, animals and marine species. But the very same bags have turned a saviour for farmers in the ongoing Kharif season.
The farmers in Krishna and Guntur districts are deploying used polythene bags to protect their paddy nurseries from birds. The birds including the migratory ones not only damage the crop but also prey on crabs and earthworms in the nurseries.
“The bags are tied to a stick across the paddy nurseries,” said Appa Rao Allaparthy, a resident of Repalle in Guntur district. “The birds are apparently scared of the different colours of the bags. Using the bags in the field requires no investment and saves time to protect the nursery,” said the farmers in Avaingadda. The farming community adopts several ways in driving away the birds: beating the drum, displaying the coloured bags, erecting a fence with used saris and so on.
Along the river bed of Krishna, the paddy fields wear myriad colours; blue, black and white with the display of the polythene bags. The bags are displayed until sowing is completed.
The farmers in the tail end areas of various irrigation projects need to allow the paddy plants to grow longer than suitable height as sowing operation normally gets delayed owing to delay in irrigation water reaching their fields. Hence, maintenance of the nursery becomes a burden. But the farmers in Krishna and Godavari districts never prefer to kill the birds. Instead they find alternative ways to deal with the winged guests.
