At a time when summer sowing has just begun, Gujarat government has cut irrigation water supply from Narmada. This will have adverse effect on farmers and agriculture sector in the state. According to farmers’ leaders, sowing of summer crop will decrease, which will lead to financial losses to farmers. Most of the farmers are dependent on summer crops for animal feed like bajri and other fodder grains. As per the agriculture department’s data, vegetables sowing has decreased 16.33% as compared to last year. “Because of water cut area under summer crops may decrease this year. Farmers have started sowing of summer crops two weeks ago,” said Sagar Rabari, general secretary of Khedut Samaj. Decrease in sowing of summer crops can trigger shortage and small and marginal farmers may migrate to other places. Rabari said, “Fodder sowing mostly done in summer time. Due to water crisis in the state, this year fodder plantation may decrease in coming days and this may force farmers to migrate and will also affects the productivity of milching animals.”
Farmers living in the 18.45-lakh-hectare Narmada Command Area, where the canal network is mandated to take water under the project, are a worried lot. Several times farmers’ representative have met the government officials demanding water supply during sowing season. But the government failed to address their concerns. “Official announcement was made by government in January, and after that, we have met the officials several times for regular water supply to farmers but the state government has not listened our voice,” said Rabari. The state government had earlier intimated the farmers for cut in irrigation water supply and because of it several farmers have not started summer sowing. “The state government earlier had given an intimation for water supply cut to the farmers and as a result many farmers in North Gujarat did not saw summer crops. Hardly 5% farmers who have water availability in their resources have started sowing,” said Mavji Patel, chairman of Rajeshwar Farmer Producer Company Limited.
According to the Gujarat agriculture department data, summer sowing has increased marginally by 3% to 350,700 hectare as on March 12, 2018 as against 338,000 hectare in the corresponding period last year. Onion sowing declined to 4,100 hectare from 13,100 hectare. Area of vegetables fell by 16.33% to 37,400 hectare in this year from 44,700 hectare last year. Though, fodder sowing increased by about 12% to 105,100 hectare from 94,000 hectare. However, as compared to last three years average of 241,800 hectare in fodder sowing, area has fallen by 56.53% this year.
