Farmers opt for steel storage tanks instead of agriculture ponds

Chamarajanagara: The district horticulture department launched subsidy scheme for construction of steel water storage tank under National Krishi Vikas yojana (NKVY). Under the scheme farmers can construct portable modular steel tank for agriculture purposes , for which the government is providing 50 percent subsidy. Under the scheme farmers can construct storage tanks with capacity of 1, 2 and 5 lakh litres.

This tank is much helpful for farmers as they can store water during rains and use it for irrigation during summer. A tanks can be constructed with in three days. More over these tanks can be shifted to other places easily and have life span of more than 10 years. At present the raw materials for steel tank imported from other countries. The stored water would not get toxic and the materials would not get rust as it is steel.

Speaking to this reporter district horticulture deputy director B L Shiva Prasad said that earlier farmers were constructing agriculture ponds in their fields. The water was evaporating during summer and it required more space.

The danger of children falling in to pond was also there. This new technique is useful for farmers as just 22 square feet of space is enough to construct one lakh liter capacity tank which costs Rs 6.5 lakh.

The two lakh litre tank requires 28 sq feet land and construction cost would be 10 lakhs. He said farmers should have at least two hectares of land to get subsidy for 2 lakh litre tank and have 4 hectares land to get subsidy for 5 lakh litres tank.

He said 5 lakh litre tank requires 75 square feet of land and costs Rs15 lakh . He said farmers should visit nearest horticulture office to get more details.