In an attempt to save his wilting horticulture orchard, the 46-year-old Bandaru Bikshmaiah laid about one km-long pipeline to fetch water from another farmer’s bore-well at Pedda Suraram village in Thipparthy mandal.
As the district recorded low rainfall during the past two years, the bore-wells in his field went dry a couple of months ago. After growing sweet lemon plants for six years, Mr. Bikshamaiah got the first yield this year. As the two bore-wells that supplied water to his four-acre orchard went dry, he drilled a couple more bore-wells in his field, but they did not yield water.
Then he had approached a paddy farmer from the village, Yaramada Bheemarjun Reddy, who agreed to supply water during March, April and May, for a consideration of Rs. 25,000.
Since Mr. Reddy’s field is located a km away from sweet lime orchard, he had spent Rs. 40,000 to lay the pipeline.
Speaking to The Hindu , Salamma, wife of Bikshmaiah, said they had drilled 12 bore-wells over a six-year period to save the crop, but for the first time, all the bore-wells went dry due to depleting groundwater table. Hoping against hope that the monsoon would be early this year, Ms. Salamma said they had entered into an arrangement with Mr. Bheemarjun Reddy for water from his bore-well.
If the monsoon is delayed further, Ms. Salamma said none of the farmers would supply water as they would need water themselves when they start paddy cultivation around the first week of June. “We had spent our six years of labour and a lifetime’s earnings on sweet lime, but have got no returns,” she lamented.
Mr. Bikshamaiah, who also works as a bore-well mechanic in the village, said they were spending their resources on the orchard hoping that good rains this season would help them get their money back.
