BICHOLIM: The farmers from Vathadev in Bicholim are a worried lot as they haven’t been able to irrigate their kulagars (betel nut and banana plantations) since the last 20 days due to breakdown of PWD irrigation pump.

The PWD had built a bandhara on the Bicholim River at Vathadev for supplying water to the farmers. There are 20 farmers who are dependent on the bandhara. But since last 20 days the pump at the project is out of order, causing deep concern to the farmers.

“After the pump set got damaged, the authorities opened the bandhara gates to reduce the water level to enable them repair the pump,” Krishna Pednekar, a farmer, said adding, “however, they are not able to find the glitch in the machine and repair the pump.”

The farmers fear if the water supply is not resumed on time, then, their kulagars and other crops would be destroyed.

“Almost every day we go to the PWD office requesting engineer to repair the pump; and the officers also assure us that the water supply would resume soon, but since last more than two weeks not a drop of water has reached our kulagars,” Pednekar complained. 

The farmers have asked the authorities concerned to seriously look into the matter and save their crops.