Even though the month of June is over, not a single seedling has been planted till date because of the escalation of firing incidents from across the border, following which Indian troops have geared up their preparations for the retaliatory attacks. With the sowing season nearing its send, they face the prospect of losing the next crop completely.

With each passing day the tension mounts for the border residents who are totally dependent on agriculture. The villagers fear that any further delay in cultivation of land will lead them to starvation, as it is out of the earnings from the yield, they make their livelihood.

About 40,000 farmers from R S Pura and Akhnoor tehsil, who have been eagerly waiting for the monsoon had to flee because of the incessant firing by the Pakistanis, leaving vast areas of landwithout cultivation. This uncultivated area in R S Pura and Akhnoor tehsil as per the official figures includes 34,060 hectares of paddy land, 5,150 hectares of maize land, 2,500 hectares of bajra land, 900 hectares of pulses land, 1,095 hectares of land is used for oil seeds cultivation and on 900 hectares they grow fodder.

Recently I S Malhi, Secretary Agriculture, along with a team of experts visited various border villages in Akhnoor tehsil to take stock of the situation there. After seeing the plight of the people there, they decided to grow seedlings in the government farms at Bakor, Chinnour, Marh and Chaprohi, away from enemy shells to be later distributed among farmers.

``Even if we succeed in producing seedlings as per the requirements of the farmers we cannot do anything unless villagers return to their villages. And that is not possible in present tense situation,'' said M L Gupta, Joint Director Agriculture.

The border residents are worried about their future. ``At present we have limitedration stock. But, what will happen once this gets finished. Who will feed our children, where we will go, even our livestock will die of starvation,'' these are the queries haunting the displaced villagers camping at different places.

Even the water from the irrigation canals has been diverted into the ditches constructed by the Army in the border areas. According to the sources in Army, the water logging of ditches is done as a matter of preventive measures to prevent the enemy movement in case of any eventuality.