The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) has sought directives to the Irrigation Consultative Committee (ICC) for Cauvery and other rivers to convene a meeting and take a decision on release of water for paddy cultivation.
Addressing a press conference in the city on Tuesday, Badagalpura Nagendra said that paddy cultivation should commence in July or August but it hinges on assured water release though canals during growth and maturity period of the crops. He said the farmers cannot take up cultivation without such an assurance and hence the ICC meeting should be convened within a day or two and guarantee water supply, which will encourage farmers to take up paddy cultivation.
Mr. Nagendra said paddy cultivation follows a specific natural cycle and sowing process should ideally commence during July/August. If the sowing and cultivation process begins in September, not only will the crop wilt but yield will decline due to the atmospheric conditions. Hence for farmers to take up sowing in July or August, the ICC should commit within the next couple of days that water supply would be ensured during the crop growth and maturity period, he added.
Mr. Nagendra also urged the authorities to release water through the reservoirs in a phase-wise manner so that the lakes and waterbodies are filled up. This will also help replenish the groundwater table and take care of summer requirements. If water is discharged as a flood control measure then it will not serve the purpose of ground water recharge, he added.
On the plight of the sugarcane cultivators, the KRRS said that the arrears due to them from a few private sugarcane crushing factories was yet to be paid for the year 2020-21. Mr. Nagendra said the payment made to the farmers was for sugar recovery of 9.51% per tonne while the actual realisation was 9.59%. ‘’Hence the companies owe the farmers the balance for the higher recovery and should be cleared before commencement of the current year’s crushing operation,” said Mr. Nagendra.
The KRRS has also sought the intervention of the district administration to ensure that the arrears due to the farmers are cleared by the sugarcane factories failing which the cultivators have threatened to launch an agitation.
Senior leaders and other office-bearers of the KRRS were present.
