Rain brings cheer to paddy farmers

After weeks of dry and scorching conditions, continuous rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday has brought much-needed relief to Karnal district, especially to the farming community struggling to begin paddy transplantation amid water scarcity and frequent power cuts.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the district recorded 40.8 mm of rainfall on Tuesday and 26 mm on Wednesday, significantly improving soil moisture and lowering temperatures across the region. The showers have come as a boon for farmers, enabling them to prepare fields for sowing and initiate the long-delayed transplantation process.

“We were waiting for such rainfall which was much needed, as it was not easy to keep the fields irrigated in the scorching heat,” said Vikas, a local farmer.

“Earlier, frequent power cuts made it difficult to pump water for irrigation. Now with rainfall, the humidity in fields has improved and the crops will not suffer,” added Rajesh Kumar, another farmer from the area.

Karnal has approximately 5.30 lakh acres of cultivable land during the kharif season, of which paddy is expected to be planted on 4.5 lakh acres.“This timely rainfall was crucial. It will help speed up paddy transplantation. Farmers are advised to remain vigilant during this phase to ensure healthy crop establishment,” said Dr Wazir Singh, Deputy Director, Agriculture.

The rains have also eased pressure on the electricity grid. Before the showers, daily power demand had soared to 1.5 crore units, but has since dropped to around 1.10 crore units, according to the Operation Circle, Karnal.