500 acres of land waterlogged in Palwal

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Palwal, November 23

Over 500 acres of agricultural land has been reported to be waterlogged in Palwal.

The district has a total of about 68,000 hectares of agriculture area.

“Land of several villages of Palwal and Hathin sub division of the district have been under two to four feet of water for the past three to four months. The failure to drain excess water has led to problems for farmers, who have been unable to sow crops for the next season,” reveal sources in the Agriculture Department.

The waterlogged villages include Allika, Prithla, Kakrali, Aharwan and Karna of Palwal sub division; and Mandkola, Mandnaka, Karoli, Saroli, Mathepur, Bhigawali, Joharkhera and Reebad of Hathin sub division of the district.

“We have been unable to take up sowing for the past few months due to acute waterlogging caused during the monsoon season,” said Ganga Ram, farmer from Prithla, one of the largest villages in the district.

Charan Singh and Mohan Lal from the same village said waterlogging had prevented them to take up any farming activity since August.

Ajay Tanwar, a resident, said 150 acres of agricultural land was still waterlogged and the issue had already been taken up with the officials concerned.

“While waterlogging has become almost a perennial issue in about 15 to 20 villages in the district, delay in timely action or lack of adequate arrangements to deal with the issue for a long-term basis has led to the recurrence of the problem,” said an official.

Alleging that the authorities have failed to take any action, former MLA Karan Dalal said farmers were suffering huge losses.

“Though pumps have been functional at some places, dewatering is taken up as soon as a complaint is received,” claims a senior official of the Irrigation Department.

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