In Karnataka's Indi taluk, farmers weather a rough ride

VIJAYAPURA: SK Jalavadi, who grows lemons in Tadavalaga village , Indi taluk, Vijayapura district, is a worried man. He fears he would go bankrupt if it does not rain in the next couple of weeks. For the past three months he has been spending about Rs 15,000 a week on water to save his lemon crop from withering. He is running thin on financial resources, but the 43-year-old cannot help but buy water as he fears four years of hard labour, which he put in to grow the crop, and 10 years of yield would be wiped out.

“It’s like riding a tiger,” said Jalavadi as a tanker unloads water, which he purchased for Rs 2,500, into his dried up well. “I can’t ride nor can I stop. Only rain can save me.”

Jalavadi’s crop, planted six years ago, is spread over three acres. The lifespan of a lemon tree is about 18 years and plants bear fruit from the fourth year. It is a water intensive crop and will wither if not watered for two weeks.

“One has to plan for the next 15 years when growing lemons,” Jalavadi said. “If I stop watering the plants now, four years of labour will have been wasted and my plan for the next 10 years would be jeopardised.”

There are hundreds of farmers like Jalavadi in Tadavalaga, Roogi and Bolegaon villages of Indi taluk and villages around Tikota , who grow cash crops like lemon, pomegranate and grapes. Most of them have been purchasing water to save their crops as the district is facing one of the worst-ever drought years.

A 24,000-litre tanker costs farmers around Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 depending on the distance between the source of water — mainly borewells — and their fields. Every day, farmers purchase about 60 tankers of water. “A two-acre lemon plot requires eight tankers of water per week,” Siddaraju, a farmer with a BCom degree, said. Thankfully, the price of lemons is high which is helping farmers stay afloat. A sack with about 3,000 lemons is sold for about Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000.

But not all farmers can buy water. Many have resigned themselves to their fate after exhausting all their money on water. Layappa Sainasakali of Tadavalaga is one them. His two-acre lemon crop is half dry now. “He purchased water for two months and stopped because he ran out of money,” said Ramappa, a neighbour of Layappa. “If it doesn’t rain in the next few days, things will be difficult for him.”

Windfall for tanker owners

However, borewell and tanker owners have been thriving, albeit at the expense of farmers. Borewell owners typically charge Rs 600 per tanker of water and tanker owners sell it to farmers at Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 per tanker.

Aslam (name changed), who runs a cycle shop in Hiremasali village and has a borewell, sells around 15 tankers of water every day. Thanks to the growing demand for water, many people have bought tankers. “In Tadavalaga, Roogi and Bolegoan villages, there are around 20 tankers. It has become a livelihood for some people,” said Ashok of Roogi village.