Farmers in Nawalparasi Begin Paddy Plantation Amidst Water Availability

Nawalparasi. Farmers in western Nawalparasi have started paddy plantation. After water became available in the Gandak canal, farmers in Ramgram Municipality, Sarawal, and Palhinandan rural municipalities of Nawalparasi are busy planting paddy in their fields.

“Even though there is a shortage of chemical fertilizer, we couldn't wait after water came into the canal, so we started planting paddy,” said farmer Ramsingh Kurmi, who was planting paddy in his field in Palhi-4, Palhinandan.

According to him, “Some farmers have short seedlings, but they have started planting after water came into the canal. Due to the situation where we have to rely on canal water for planting, we have started planting this year because the canal water arrived on time. There is no fertilizer to put in the fields, and there is no labor. Even in this situation, we have to plant paddy. Last year too, farmers were worried that paddy production would decrease due to not getting enough fertilizer. It is the same this year.”

Since they are not getting paid laborers, some farmers have engaged their household members in the planting. Like last year, farmers have planted paddy seeds early this year, expecting rain.

Farmer Tribhuvan Kurmi, who was planting paddy in Palhi, Nawalparasi, said. Even though the seedlings were short, seeing the farmers in the vicinity start planting, he started planting the short seedlings to prevent the tractor path to the field from being blocked. Currently, farmers are planting in the fields north of the western Gandak canal and in most of the fields to the south.

This year, when the water was released into the Gandak canal, it reached the 32 km Gandak canal in 36 hours, and farmers have benefited from planting paddy using the canal water, informed Tilakram Budhathoki, Chief of the Western Gandak Canal.