Mandleshwar (Madhya Pradesh): Farmers of Choli village under Maheshwar tehsil of Khargone district are compelled to irrigate their fields by drawing water from wells using buckets and plastic cans to save their cotton crops from withering.
The farmers of the area are crushed under the weight of monsoon delay and a failed canal system.
Representing the plight of the farmers of the village, farmer Sadhana Ghanshyam Hirve said that, relying on canal water for irrigation, they sowed cotton after pawning her jewellery and taking a loan. After confronting influential individuals holding illegal connections, she secured a turn for water and her crop germinated. However, she alleged that the supply stopped completely due to negligence by Narmada Valley Development Authority officials.
Earlier, Bhavya Mittal took cognisance of the matter. During her visit to Somakhedi, farmers from Choli stopped her vehicle to raise their grievances. The Collector then directed NVDA officials to inspect the area, remove illegal connections and restore the system. Following her instructions, an NVDA team comprising SDOs Motiram Keer and Pratik Dhawarde inspected the fields under Choli Society, Unit No. 11.
The inspection confirmed that illegal connections made by influential farmers prevented water from reaching tail-end farmers. Officials introduced a rotational supply system, known locally as 12-bandi, and warned violators.
However, farmers alleged that this intermittent system has failed to meet their crops’ needs and demanded a permanent, round-the-clock water supply.
Affected farmers including Kamalsingh Yadav, Inder Devisingh, Om Prakash, Gopal, Laxmi Narayan, Basantilal, Virendra Kailash, Lokesh Ramavatar, Pawan Tulsiram and Parvatsingh Shivram from the village are awaiting a timely long-term solution from the administration.
