Overflowing Narmada dam ruins cotton crop

An overflowing Narmada dam has dashed hopes for a good cotton output for hundred-odd small farmers in seven villages situated within a distance of 30 kilometres from the dam site in Tilakwada taluka.

Due to heavy flow of water downstream Narmada dam on September 5 when the water level reached 129.5 metres, their agricultural land spread over 400 acres on the bank of Ashwin river that flows into Narmada river near Mora village, around 25 kms from dam site, was inundated and crop worth over Rs 40 lakh was damaged, villagers said, adding they have approached Narmada district collector seeking compensation.

"Due to poor monsoon, we spent on diesel and generator sets to draw water from the river for our fields. Suddenly, due to sharp rise in water level, overflowing Narmada river water pushed into Ashwin river, causing flooding in villages on the banks of the two rivers," said Barkatullah, a farmer from Marulia village which was affected by the flood.

Barkatullah said that since September 5, their fields remained waterlogged for two days, which was enough to damage the crop.

On Tuesday, the affected farmers submitted a memorandum to Narmada collector P R Sompura, seeking compensation for the damage to their crop. Sompura said he has asked the district agriculture officer to assess the damage and the claims by farmers.

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