Mangalore, July 16: “The government is talking of Yetthinahole project to distribute 24 tmc.ft water to distant districts of Kolar and Chikballapura. The government should ensure proper drinking water and irrigation facilities to the district first before diverting water from river Nethravathi,” said farmers at a meeting convened by DK Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim on July 15.
Farmer leader Ravikiran Punacha said farmers of the district will adamantly protest against any attempt to take away water from the district without proper long term provision for at least drinking water in the district. Dakshina Kannada district faces acute shortage of water during peak summer in spite of receiving high rainfall during monsoon.
There was a demand that crop loans should be made easily available to farmers and farmers who failed to repay the loans should not be harassed by publishing photos in the newspapers etc. Publishing of the photos will erode the dignity of farmers and they will be forced to end their lives, then the DC directed Lead Bank Chief Manager Amarnath Hegde to ensure that no banks publish the photographs of the farmers.
Zilla Panchayat CEO Tulasi Maddineni has said that farmers can sort out their problems at the Grama Snehi programme initiated by the zilla panchayat in every zilla panchayat constituency on every first Tuesday of a month. Arecanut cultivation is included under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) wherein crop extension and inter cropping can be taken up.
Additional DC Sadashiva Prabhu and Agriculture Joint Director Kempe Gowda among others were present.
Lead Bank Chief Manager Amarnath Hegde said that any problem with regard to crop loan, farmers can contact him directly at the Syndicate Bank in Hampankatta.
Phone number: 0824-2445755 or 9449860916.
