The Rabi season is round the corner. Rabi crops are basically known as winter crops that are sown in winter and harvested somewhere in the beginning of summer.
In Siolim-Sodiem lush green fields have been inundated and virtually reduced to swamps due to the leaking Tillari Irrigation canal. Fields here were cultivated by the local farmers somewhere in October and harvest somwhere in March. No chemicals fertilisers were used but the silt washed down during the rains was enough to yield the farmers a bumper harvest. IR8, Jaya and Jyoti were planted and each household had atleast a tonne of rice enough to last the family for a year while the surplus was marketed. Despite farmers meetings and assurances from politicians the thousands of acres of agricultural lands here have been lying fallow for almost 25 years. The migratory birds which made this place their winter home have abandoned the area as the overgrown weeds discourage the birds from visiting here. This year too, the pleas of the farmers to various authrorities to bring the land under the plough have fallen on deaf ears. Will the Siolcars ever cultivate their lush lands in future?
Villagers now wait on the panchayat to take up the issue with the Tillari Irrigation Project authorities and get them the required compensation they have asked for their damaged fields.
