Lockdown a blessing for small tarai farmers

LUCKNOW Kuldeep Singh, a farmer in Tilhar area of Shahjahanpur, faced many troubles ranging from shortage of labour to fertilizer transportation issues during the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

But, the 52-year old now feels that the lockdown has been like a blessing in disguise for farmers with small land holdings in the tarai belt. That’s because lockdown restrictions reduced cultivation of Saatha rice, done mainly by well-off farmers to increase their profits.

Though more than 70% farmers grow this rice to make extra profit, farmers with smaller land holdings suffered the consequences as the farming of this water intensive crop, would make ground water levels dip sharply, making things difficult for small and marginal farmers, said locals. This year, however, Singh didn’t face a problem in irrigating his crops during summers as the water level hadn’t depleted as much.

Ground water shortage is caused by many factors but Saatha rice farming contributes to it in a big way, said locals.

“Saatha rice variety that is grown here is sown in April and harvested in June. Farmers depend only on ground water for irrigation of this variety of crop which severely impacts the underground water level,” explained Navjot Singh, a farmer from Tilhar who has been demanding a ban on Saatha farming. “Only farmers with big farms can afford to pump out underground water, those with smaller land holdings can’t,” Navjot said explaining why he wanted Saatha farming banned. Lockdown however changed things on the ground.

“Lockdown meant restrictions and only 10% farmers could cultivate Saatha rice. The rest planted vegetables or other crops that do not require much water. This has helped replenish the underground water level in the region,” said Singh.

Recent undergound water level survey reports by the district administration confirm this. “In past few years the water levels in 85% blocks where Saatha is grown used to drop below 150 ft during the cultivation period. This time such drop has been limited to only 28% of theses blocks,” said Praveen Singh, the local irrigation officer.

“This year the markedly lower level of dip in underground water indicates that farmers are moving away from crops that need large amounts of water . The administration will continue to support such moves. We plan to organise awareness campaign ,” said JP Tripathi, district magistrate of Shahjahanpur.

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