MARGAO: Water Resources Department (WRD) Minister Subhash Shirodkar, while re-sponding to concerns expressed by farmers, reiterated the Department’s commitment to ensuring a timely water supply for the upcoming rabi crop. The Minister emphasised that they would utilise irrigation canals throughout the State to meet the needs of farmers.
Shirodkar spoke to the media about the issue and expressed confidence that the de-partment would be able to provide water for soil preparation in December, as requested by the farmers. This would ensure water availability before they begin the transplanting process for the next crop cycle.
The Minister explained that the farmers had reached out to him with their concerns, and he assured them that the WRD would supply ample water for agricultural purposes, and added that the department was actively pursuing proposals related to soil conservation.
Shirodkar clarified that the WRD’s plans for Sarzora and Dicaraple lakes were aimed at beautification and increasing their storage capacity for irrigation. There are no intentions to divert water from these lakes for industrial use, he said.
Regarding damaged bhandaras, the Minister stated, “My department deals with storage. We intend to construct small bandharas, particularly for irrigation purposes across the State.
As of now, work on 20 bandharas has started, and we have set a target to construct around 100 bandharas by May 2024.”
Staring at losses, paddy farmers urge govt to hike support price
MARGAO: A group of farmers from Verna are demanding that the government in-crease the support price for paddy cultivation. While they expressed satisfaction with the current paddy production, farmers mentioned that they had to shell out more money out of their pockets for harvesting their crop.
Perpetual Barretto, a farmer, explained that the government’s harvesting machines failed to arrive on time, forcing them to hire private harvesting machines. She noted that selling rice after completing the entire process is more profitable for farmers than handing over harvested paddy to government agencies. Delays in releasing government subsidies can result in additional losses, leading many farmers to avoid selling their paddy directly to government agencies.
Agnelo Quadros, another farmer, emphasised that cultivating vegetables, including wa-termelons, is more profitable than paddy cultivation. Given the current circumstances, he called on the government to increase the support price for paddy.
Another farmer expressed concern about the lack of government support for paddy
cultivation, leading to confusion among farmers about whether to continue with paddy cultivation in the near future.
In response to the farmers’ situation, citizens of Verna called on government officials to visit the farmers and address their grievances, calling for a better understanding of the practical challenges faced by farmers.
