Fresh wet spell brings cheer to worried kharif farmers

Palanpur: After playing truant in the early phase, moderate but steady spell of rainfall since the last two days has spread joy in the farming community in North Gujarat.The incessant rains since Saturday evening has raised hopes of a good crop among farmers just when worries of kharif sowing were rising.
Even though the delayed monsoon has left majority of rivers and dams in North Gujarat nearly empty, farmers in the region said the wet spell will provide them some relief in cultivation.“We have now got some relief. I use a sprinkling system to irrigate my farm. It will work efficiently now,” said Bhikha Chaudhary, a farmer hailing from Ghadiyal village of Banaskantha’s Vadgam taluka.
“If the showers continue, the water levels will rise. Also, we will also get relief from soaring temperatures and rising humidity levels,” he said.
Almost 70 % of the millet crop that was sown has got a new lease of life. “The region has witnessed substantial rains which is good for cultivation,” said deputy director of agriculture Banaskantha PK Patel. Almost all talukas in neighbouring Patan, Sabarkantha and Aravalli district has witnessed a fresh round of rains. With increase in power consumption, scheduled and unscheduled power cuts in rural and urban areas had become frequent.