Agriculture becoming business of profit

Bhopal, Jan 24: Efforts by the state government to make agriculture as a business of profit are meeting with great success. In the wake of intensified efforts in this connection, irrigation from Indira Sagar canal has started from this year in Khandwa district. District's Punasa block is on the verge of becoming 'Punjab' in terms of agriculture. This year sowing is being undertaken in four thousand hectares of land in Punasa block alone.

According to estimates, bumper yield of 24 thousand tonnes of wheat would be had in Punasa block. Intensification of Indira Sagar Dam's canals is drawing all round applause. Village Nalgaon's farmer Laxminarain Gujar says that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the real well-wisher of farmers. This is evident from the fact that he is giving priority to irrigation facilities to the farmers. Punasa block is getting water from canals for the first time. As many as 12 villages have benefited from Gudariya Canal and this small canal is irrigating about 3,000 hectare area.

Till last year, fields in Punasa area presented a deserted and barren look. But this year every field, green crop of wheat is waving. So far sowing has been made in 12.50 hectares of land and is still continuing. The irrigation water, which has reached the farmers itself without any cost, has created a festive atmosphere in villages. Farmers are busy in sowing round the clock. People say that this year the famous fair of Punasa has lost its glare as the people are engaged in sowing and are skipping the Mela. Gudariya village's farmer Mohan Singh has sown wheat in his two-acre field for the first time this year. Mukesh Singh, who had sown only half quintal of wheat last year, has now sown three quintal seeds. Similar is the condition of other farmers also.

Narmada Valley Development Minister Nagendra Singh visited the areas twice recently to take stock of the canal work. This gave a fillip to the work and release of water in the canal at the right time could be ensured. With the availability of water for irrigation from the canal, farmers are getting rid of their perennial problems of electricity and deepening of wells. Nagendra Singh had dedicated the Kewla canal on November 23, 2007. This canal is irrigating 5,000 hectare area. Meanwhile, work on first and second phase of Indira Sagar canals is fast progressing. There were some complaints of leakage and the canal has been repaired and leakage points have been sealed. These canals would soon irrigate the vast area spread 5.50 lakh hectares.