Karkala: Farmers in Saccheripete/Mundkoor distressed as bund collapses

By B Pundalika Marate
Bellevision Media Network

Karkala, 19 Dec 2016: The bund that the local farmers have laid to vented-dam across Shambavi rivulet, in Saccheripete that comes under the purview of Mundkoor gram panchayat, near here collapsed thereby huge quantity of water is wasting being reported on Saturday, December 17.

 

The local farmers using planks and earth laid the bund to vented-dam during November 2016, in order to irrigate their hundreds of acres of farmlands. The water stored would have been enough to irrigate their crops till May 2017. Meanwhile, its owing to heavy inflow of water, the bund that they laid withered and water goes wasted causing distress to farmers.

 

 

The farmers used empty cement bags and earth to lay the bund, because the vented-dam that was built was not beneficial to the farmers in Kadandale and Saccheripete villages of Mangaluru taluk. They were using planks and earth to lay the bund that was effective in storing water for irrigation for many years. It was boon to aquifers charging water levels nearby their farmlands. Meanwhile, over the years, the rotten planks were affected by termites and the farmers had no source to procure the new stocks. Despite their plea to minor irrigation department in order to supply planks have gone to their deaf years, the farmers had to lay the bund using plastic bags and earth that was withered wasting precious water stored in the bund.

 

The farmers who were cultivating the paddy in summer were irrigating their crops from the bund that has been depleting fast now. The farmers face uncertainty how to irrigate their plantations and crop in the fast approaching summer.