Mudukappa Kattikar of Mole village in Chikodi taluk left farming which became unsustainable due to the vagaries of nature. But, for him and other farmers there is a new ray of hope. On Friday, a Rs. 2.20 crore Lift Irrigation Scheme financed by Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) was formally inaugurated by its chairman S. Ravindran .Under the scheme, nearly 109 acres would benefit from the irrigation facility.
For Mr. Kattikar and his brothers, the shared 10 acre agricultural land had turned into a liability. With rain playing truant, there was no assurance of a successful season. But, with the introduction of the scheme, the water issue will be taken care of.
Launching the scheme, Mr. Ravindran asked farmers to adopt integrated farming practices for best results. The farmers are being provided with critical irrigation facilities from Krishna river flowing 10 km away from the village, he said, assuring all possible assistance from the Bank. Judicious and scientific utilisation of available water, precision irrigation technologies and watershed development works to save sugarcane crops could provide answer to recurring droughts, he said.
The uniqueness of this lift irrigation scheme is that 56 farmers of the village came forward to have irrigation facility by forming a group. The Mole branch of KVGB welcomed and extended a loan of Rs.1.80 crore and the rest was shared by stakeholders, KVGB Public Relations Officer Ullas Gunaga said.
Ghoraknath, a progressive farmer, said it was first of its kind in the district as it facilitated land holding-wise irrigation water to the farmers which avoids possible disputes of sharing water. Sidagonda Pujari, owner 12 acres of land, is optimistic about his future and that of other farmers in the village.
