National Conference (NC) Monday expressed dismay over the delay in the annual desilting and clearing of agricultural irrigation canals across Kashmir, saying the inordinate delay in the annual clearance and repairs of canals would affect paddy cultivation.
In a joint statement issued here, senior NC leaders Choudhary Ramzan, Sakina Itoo, Bashir Veeri, Javed Dar, Abdul Majeed Bhat Larmi, Altaf Ahmad Wani and spokesman Imran Nabi Dar expressed concern over the delay of the annual desiltation process.
“There is no denying the fact that COVID-19 outbreak has stalled various activities, however, the government was expected to learn from its previous experiences and streamline its efforts underway to combat COVID-19 and ensure day to day administrative activities as well which unfortunately is not happening,” they said.
“Our region is already a food grain-deficit region. The inordinate delay in ensuring hassle-free supply of irrigation water to farmers will not only show up in the ebbing of annual food grain production but also affect the livelihood of our farmers. The sector employs a vast work force and provides living to lacs of families across Kashmir division. The incumbent government has already failed to drive local agriculture and horticulture sectors towards normalcy from the abject condition it has been plunged into by the successive clampdowns and lock downs and apathy, the delay in cleaning the irrigation canals will give a mortal blow to the already ailing sector, resulting in job losses, decline in agriculture and desertification of large tracts of arable lands in south and north Kashmir areas,” they said.
The NC leaders impressed upon the divisional administration to instruct the concerned department to act swiftly and clear the inlets and irrigation canals of weed growth and obstructions due to piled up silt so that the water reaches tail-end areas to enable farmers take up paddy cultivation.
The functionaries also impressed upon the divisional administration to instruct the concerned department of Irrigation and Flood Control to make urgent repairs on the banks to check erosion.