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| Thursday, 17 June 2004 |
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Tank-building - the forgotten forte
With just a few feet off the ground, it is right now that the life sustaining paddy plant needs to be watered. Farmers particularly in the not so lucky rain fed areas sans irrigation have been waiting for these rains and somehow their prayers have not been in vain. Having been out of Colombo over the week-end, I noticed tiny constructs of Gokkola in paddy fields symbolic of such prayers. For them the rains are indeed a big bonanza. Yala incidentally is the current paddy cultivating season and the most uncertain of the two for its reputedly dry weather followed by lean harvests. It is a season when farmers particularly in rain fed areas take to cultivation amid intense doubt, fear and skepticism. It is also the season when the wide disparity between farmer and gambler is not quite conspicuous. The farmer too gambles with anticipating greener days ahead but with trepidation. Such farmer fears in irrigated settlements are far less and much needs to be done to allay the anxieties of the waterless farmers. Despite the ability to provide them with water nothing has been done so far to renovate the hundreds of dilapidated tanks islandwide that are regretfully nobody's concern. The dry zone in particular - into the Wayamba and Wanni, carry many of the most neglected tanks. These once re-done could serve the immediate farming community in its respective localities. Sad to say, tank rebuilding in many instances remains only at the level of election promises and nothing beyond. This certainly is nothing new either. The timely action of a small but significant group of concerned environmentalists has contributed in no small way for such timely rain as we experienced these few days which hopefully would remain that way. Large scale public awareness on the elimination if not downsizing of Sri Lanka's forest cover and the agitation over massive land sales has brought to bear the stability and balance of Sri Lanka's weather pattern at least to some extent - a situation to be happy about but certainly not complacent. Environmental journalists both in the print and electronic media need commendation for their dust kicking exposures. Paddy farming, needless to say, is in the Lankan farmers' blood for he takes to it like a duck to water regardless of profit or loss - more so this is true of farmers in non-irrigated areas. When I asked them why they risked cultivating despite the numerous water related problems, they even said pointing at the racing waters that formed into temporary rivulets; "Watura Apathe Yanawa Balan Inna behe" ("How could we ever bear to see all that water going off unused"). This farmer psyche needs to be harnessed. Their willingness and commitment to bring out the 'grain' of their ancestors needs encouragement and its time State authorities bring to functional state each tank in every village. Besides, some arrangement similar to what the now defunct Paddy Marketing Board did - that too only once- in collecting the harvest is needed to keep the poor farmer away from the middle man's grip. The middle man continues to be a forceful institution in the village 'sharing' the agony and ecstasy of the villager. Some ironically see him as a much wanted element. Surprisingly for some unknown reason this view comes off even from a few agriculture specialists. All kinds of lame excuses are delivered. However, State intervention into harvest buying is no big deal. What is needed is the will and sincerity towards collective good, sadly lacking in the Sri Lankan context. |
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Produced by Lake House |
According to reports reaching Colombo there have been heavy rains
islandwide much to farmer satisfaction - not to forget agriculture that
continues to be the livelihood of 65 per cent of the Sri Lankan
population.
