Farmers pin hopes on rain gods to end 3-year drought

Daultabad: Farmers of Kodangal Assembly constituency are worried about delayed rains after the initial euphoria in the current monsoon season. They have sowed the seeds after the first showers experienced in the kharif out of optimism to reap bumper harvest ending three-year drought. Elusive rains after the initial showers are making the farmer spend anxious moments. As there are no signs of overcast sky, the farmer, steeped in debts, is worried about crop prospects. Meanwhile, the cotton plants are getting dried.

The green gram crop, which is in flowering and bud formation stage, after showing some initial promise is also started withering away. The farmer, who borrowed from private lenders, are expressing apprehensions over withering away of the crops if the present dry spell were to continue for one more week. In Vikarabad rural mandal, the farmers have been exploring alternative measures to save the standing corps as the last ditch efforts.

As there are no bountiful rains in Kharif season, which started two months ago, the farmers are in a catch-22 situation. With the increasing mercury with each passing day, the moisture in the soil is getting evaporated. The ground water table is receding further and further projecting bleak future for the kharif crops. The farmers have cultivated maize, cotton, red gram, green gram, black gram and so on investing money borrowing from others. They are not able to withstand withering away of the crops for want of rains. The farmers have been appealing to the Rain Gods for mercy.