Adilabad is plunging into a farm land crisis

Adilabad district which was famous for its agriculture, ancient temples, places archeological importance and tourist places is awaiting a serious farmland crisis. The water table has gone done 200 feet deeper due to over exploitation of water. Mono crop mainly cotton and maize have eaten away the other food crops and its rich bio diversity. Farmers are lured to go for cotton crop for quick gain. They hardly know the input cost for cotton farming is fast increasing and making cotton farm nonviable. The profit from cotton is neutralized when farmers buy food grains from the market at high cost. Many farmers repent for aggressively planting cotton as the BT cotton affects soil quality. After a few years the BT loses its virus resistance capacity and becomes a risk factor for the farmers. There is nobody to guide the farmers as the extension department officials hardly visit the villages. The farm land crisis is looming large in the entire Adilabad district.

There are many water harvesting structures in Adilabad which sip in surface water into the ground and improves soil quality. Unfortunately many farmers go for bore wells in large number which results into deepening of water table in Adilabad. When the water table goes down the fodder disappears and the moisture from soil dries up. “Once I had 30 cows and there was enough fodder for the cows,” reminisces Sonai, 45, “I had to sale all my cows due to lack of fodder when dry spell continued three years back.” Climate fluctuates very often in the last eight years and it becomes a big threat to farmers. The water table is alarmingly low due to wanton destruction of surface water. Twenty years back there were around 12 big lakes in Nirmal. Today only three lakes are found in a bad shape. Most of the lakes have completely disappeared due to human negligence. The surface water which constitutes wells and ponds have disappeared as the water table deepens every year in Nirmal. Once a beautiful place, Nirmal has lost all its glory. Its famous artisans are not getting the poniki wood to continue their age old tradition independently. Government should supply poniki wood to the Nirmal toy makers urgently. The climate cannot be reversed by the poor villagers. Government has to make policies for climate proofing. There is need for immediate ban on bore wells in the areas where surface water has disappeared.

Nilgai population adds to farmers’ woe. Whatever food crop the farmers grow it is destroyed by Nilgai in some villages. The survival rate of new plants in Adilabad is very low due to low moisture contents in the soil. Another big threat to entrepreneurship in Adilabad is the subsidy distribution which has made farmers skip hard work. The young generation does not want to work in the field but wants to live in cities’ slum like daily wagers. There is an urgent need to reverse the villagers’ mindset from idleness to entrepreneurship and from subsidy seeking to profit making people. The surface water has to be repaired here and all efforts should be made to prevent the deepening of ground water in this region. There is one good thing observed in some villages. People here are happy, hospitable and their nutrition level is high. There is a small village called Bhosi which is known for its singers and wrestlers who have once made undivided Andhra Pradesh proud. Nagesh, 24 and Ganesh, 18 participate in state level wrestling competition. Nagesh trains young wrestlers in the morning and evening. Bhosi has 50 wrestlers and a few among them have represented the state. They need immediate attention to develop their wrestling skill. It is amazing to watch their determination and discipline to keep alive the 400 year old wrestling tradition. Now the government has to take initiatives and save the natural infrastructure and livelihood in Adilabad district.

By Sudhansu R Das