Cost of silt removal may push tillers futher into debt trap, say farm leaders

The silt deposited by swollen rivers across the state has put farmers on the edge, with farm leaders saying the expenditure on its removal may push them deeper into debt trap.

Farm unions are also unanimous in their opinion that excessive silt has the potential to make land uncultivable on a temporary basis or, in some cases, even permanently.

A huge quantity of silt was deposited by the Ravi, Beas and Sutjel across the state as floodwaters inundated crops on over 4.81 lakh acres.

Earlier, the state government had launched the Jisda Khet, Usdi Ret scheme, allowing farmers to extract and sell the silt without obtaining a permit or paying any royalty till December 31.

However, farmers expressed concern over the quality of silt, citing impurities in it, which they said had rendered the venture “unprofitable”.

Tarlok Singh Behrampur, a Kirti Kisan Union leader, said the silt lacked nutrients.

“Moreover, it storage is a big problem. In the past, farmers had moved the silt to the edge of their fields, creating a temporary stockpile. They do this as the first step to get the field cleared for replanting. But this is a temporary solution,” he said. “This year the amount of silt is enormous as compared to previous years,” Tarlok Singh added.

As agriculture experts say the silt mixed with urban and industrial waste may contaminate the fields, Behrampur says the state faces a difficult problem. “It will be an insurmountable task to sow the wheat crop starting from early November. This loss of crop coupled with the cost of the removal of silt, which in any case has no value at all, can plunge farmers deeper into debt,” he said.

Meanwhile, experts said the desilting exercise could start only after damaged roads and temporary pathways leading to their fields become motorable. “Under normal circumstances, agriculture pathways have a width of nearly 11 feet due to which it is impossible to drive tractors on them,” said Satbir Singh Sultani, a farm leader.

“We need lots of sunshine before we commence desilting work. Using a tractor to desilt wet areas is a risky proposition. It can damage both the machine and the soil,” said an agricultural expert.

Amrik Singh, Gurdaspur Chief Agriculture Officer, said the desilting process could take weeks. “The unwarranted deposits must be removed at all costs if the next crop has to be sowed,” he said.