Banderpora Kakapora farmers suffer as irrigation pump lies defunct

Amidst the persistent dry spell, the residents of Banderpora in Kakapora area of Pulwama district are grappling with a severe water crisis as their paddy fields continue to dry up due to a nonfunctional irrigation pump.

- JAHANGEER GANAIE

Speaking to the news agency, the farmers said that their crops are on the verge of collapse, with no response from authorities despite repeated pleas.

They added that the drought pump base was constructed nearly two years ago, but the pump itself was never installed. “Our fields are drying up before our eyes. All we need is a functioning pump?” said Ghulam Nabi, a local farmer. “We work so hard on our land, but the system fails us every time.”