Scarcity of water in the Tungabhadra dam at Hosapete has left the farmers of the command area, particularly those cultivating cotton and chilli, a worried lot as they are apprehending loss of yield.
Due to low storage in the dam, owing to deficient rainfall in the catchment areas, the Irrigation Consultative Committee (ICC) decided to introduce ‘off and on’ system under which the canals are closed for 10 days and opened for 15 days to manage the limited available of water.
Farmers said that the available water would suffice upto November 15, which may help paddy scrape through but not cotton and chilli, which need a couple of wettings during December and January.
“As there was a delay in releasing water by about five days under the ‘off and on’ system, the chilli crop, which is presently in the stage of flowering and pod bearing, are facing moisture stress. Cottoncould be sustained for about a week to 10 days without water. We may be in a position to go for two pickings. But a couple of more wettings (each in 15 to 20 days) in December and January will help us get more yield,” Rajugouda, a farmer, said while talking to The Hindu in Shankarbanda village of Ballari taluk.
Cotton and chilli is grown in command areas, spread over Hosapete, Ballari and Sirguppa taluks in about 16,700 hectares and 30,000 hectares respectively.
Hopeful
However, irrigation experts are hopeful that the dam would be able to supply water after November, at least upto December 15 going by the current inflow it has received after the ICC took a decision.
Darur Purushotamgouda, president of the district unit of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, was of the view that the ICC should take a decision to reserve the water that got augmented in the dam after ICC took a decision, to ensure a couple of more wettings for cotton and chilli crops to safeguard the interest of farmers.
