Farmers pool money to purchase boat

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 25

Farmers of over 12 villages along the Ravi in the Ajnala area have pooled money to purchase a large boat to facilitate their movement to their land across the river.

The farmers of Kot Rajada, Chaharpur, Bajwa, Soofia, Dhadian, Gagomahal and other villages have collected Rs 2 lakh to purchase the boat. They complained that leaders of all political parties before elections make promises to them to highlight their plight and provide them facilities but as soon as the elections are over, their promises fall flat.

Farmers Harcharan Singh Mahal and Balbir Singh Bhatti said there was no facility to cross the river from Kot Rajada.

“Sometimes farmers swim across the river to reach their fields. But it is risky when the flow of the river is fast. Besides, transporting machinery and tractors had always been a problem,” said Harcharan Singh.

In the absence of any bridge, boats are widely used by farmers to transport their farm implements and farm produce.

The farmers said many farmers own around 5,000 acres across the Ravi alongside the Pakistan border.

They face more problems when the water level in the river rises after monsoons. Years ago, the government had also provided a boat and even arranged for a boatman in the area. Later, the farmers were forced to make arrangements.

A temporary bridge is installed at Dharamkot from October to June every year. It is dismantled as soon as the water level starts rising after June. However, as major farm operations need indulgence during the months of July and August, the paddy growers face problems. Even people have to travel a long distance to reach Dharamkot to cross the bridge that is practically not viable. As a result, such boats are the only practical mode for farmers to till their lands.