Initial joy gives way to despair as rains play truant

Mahbubnagar: The arrival of monsoon and some rainfall in the month of June that had brought smile on farmers’ face has disappeared as rains have been elusive for weeks now.

With rains dodging Mahabubnagar, the Kharif season this year seems to go dry as lakhs of farmers in the district eagerly waiting for the rain gods to show mercy to them.

As already thousands of the farmers had sown cotton, maize and jawar during the first spell of monsoons in the month of June are now worried that their crops are getting dried up due to lack of rainwater.

Laxman a farmer from Avancha village of Jadcherla mandal poured out his woes that he had sown cotton in 10 acres of his land but not a single seed has germinated because of lack of rains since past 20 days now. “I had sown cotton in my 10 acres of land.

The rain gods have played a spoil sport and even after 20 days after sowing there is no rains and all seeds have gone waste. I need to retill and resow the entire area and it will be a double cost,” said Vankodoth Laxman.

Thousands of acres of land under Jadcherla, Midjil and Timmajipet mandals have been kept fallow to sow seeds and waiting for the rain god to bless them. “Unlike earlier, this year we took up farming with more dedication and interests because KCR government had given input capital under Rythu Bandhu scheme. But the rains are playing a spoil sport and all our investments have gone waste as there is not a single seed germinated due to lack of rains,” observed Vasu, another farmer from Avancha village.

Overall this year, the farming sector is in doll drums as it is not raining. Even though the first spells during June month had evoked some confidence that this year’s Kharif season would be good. But with monsoons going blank, the farmers are in a fix and worried that they would incur huge losses if rains don’t come on time.

By A Raju