Thiruvananthapuram: When a group of rice farmers in Chanthavila run out of water sources one by one, they can easily release agriculture.
Instead they are in the process of reviving the water body to ensure that they have ready water sources.
As part of reviving the rice fields, Amballoor Padasekhara Samithi and Kazhakootam Krishi Bhavan revived the pool called ‘Kottayath Pond’ which will supply water into the Kottayathu field which is part of the Amballoor field.
The pool is 150 meters from the field.
To supply water efficiently, the channel is made to transport water from the pool to the field.
Land preparation, revival pools and working channels have been completed and farmers are now ready to sow the seeds after ten days.
The work was carried out by 20 workers from the national rural labor scheme under the leadership of Amballoor Padasekhara Samithi and Paada Samrakshana Samithi.
Along with the rice varieties of ‘Jyothi’, Samithi Padasekhara also decided to grow gram black and green gram by dividing 50 cents into three.
The Kottayath pool has been abandoned for several years and is filled with algae and protection walls also damaged.
According to officials, these works can be completed in ten days.
“The area has been left barren for more than 25 years.
Because illegal land conversion, water sources are also destroyed.
So we have to find other water sources,” Deepa said, agriculture officer.
“During the summer, the water level always decreases.
The decision to revive the pond was taken to manage water scarcity in the area.
Before three years, there were only 12 hectares of rice and now Amballoor alone had more than 40 hectares of rice cultivation,” said an official from Kazhakootam Krishi Bhavan.
“The area was once known for rice cultivation and most of the regions were leveled for other purposes.
We began to take our field in the past five years.
The number of farmers and fields also increased.
At first, the number of farmers was six years old and now 30,” Shahjahan said A, Ambaloor member Padasekhara Samithi.