Wardha faces signs of a drought worse than 1973; wells are so low pumps cannot run two hours

Wardha: With rain staying away since Pola, kharif crops across the district are in a serious state and there are signs of a drought this year worse than that of 1973, Tarun Bharat reported. Because streams and rivers never flooded, well levels have kept falling every day, and farmers say they cannot now run a farm pump for even two hours at a stretch.

Crop growth has stalled and plants are not setting fruit. Harvested soybean is averaging six quintals an acre. Farmers are trying to water crops from wells and farm ponds, but very little water is left in them, and there is a demand that water be released from dams instead. With diseases attacking standing crops, there is little chance of a yield from cotton and other crops.

There is worry over whether there will be enough even to drink four months from now. Older farmers recall that during the 1973 drought the government supplied grain under the PL-480 agreement. Although a dry drought has been declared, farmers wonder how they will survive on the aid on offer.

Source: Tarun Bharat Nagpur