PONDA: Paddy cultivation in Velop-Kavlem has dipped by almost 50 percent with most of land in the panchayat area being kept fallow by farmers due to several problems. Though farmers love to cultivate their fields, throwing of garbage and water flowing into their fields poses a severe problem to cultivation of crops.
However despite this challenge, some farmers are eager to cultivate their fields. O Heraldo met with two brothers Sachin and Sameer in Velop-Kavlem who were cleaning their field. They said they were pained to see that people dump garbage, broken bottles and other thrash as they pass by. They said they are cultivating their field without any support or financial help for the past many decades.
Last year they could not cultivate the fields as their land was full of garbage and waste. Their love for agriculture has forced them to plough the fields and grow paddy.
Sameer said he was even received a cut on his leg while cleaning and ploughing the field but despite this they are determined to go ahead with cultivating rice.
Sachin and Sameer while working in the muck pointed out, “We don’t expect financial support but we are only requesting the panchayat and Agriculture Department to ensure that no waste or garbage released into our field. Secondly, the roadside gutter constructed by panchayat at Kapileshwari is directly releasing rain water into their field instead of the main nullah. Due to this, the entire garbage and broken bottles flow into our field making it difficult to cultivate it,” said the brothers and urged that a proper retaining wall be constructed to prevent garbage from being thrown into their field.
