Farmers urged to use technology and conserve water

Farmers are being urged to use advanced technologies to reduce water usage in agriculture. R. Cheluvaraju, a retired Chief Engineer, spoke to representatives from Water User Cooperative Societies at a meeting in Shivamogga. He emphasized that water will become scarcer in the future and farmers must adapt to new farming methods. Cheluvaraju highlighted the Upper-Bhadra Project, which promotes micro-irrigation techniques. He explained that in the past, farmers mostly relied on drip irrigation from borewells. Now, this technology is being extended to cover 5.25 lakh acres of farmland. He remarked that countries like Israel effectively manage limited water resources to achieve high crop yields. K.P. Amshumanth, chairperson of the Bhadra Command Area Development Authority (CADA), noted the importance of strengthening cooperative societies for farmers. There are 537 societies across 10 districts, with 120 actively involved. To encourage participation, CADA is offering financial support and equipment to well-performing societies. CADA plans to promote more active societies as the Upper-Bhadra Project is completed. This initiative aims to help farmers improve their productivity and adapt to the changing water availability.