RAUTAHAT, June 30

Even as the country celebrates National Paddy Day today, it should be noted that paddy has been planted on only one per cent land in Rautahat.

Of the total 112,600 hectares land in Rautahat, nearly 49,300 hectare is suitable for paddy plantation.

According to senior agriculture officer Mohan Mahato, local farmers have been planting the paddy through the underground water sources as the monsoon has yet to begin here.

“Almost all farmers in the district depend on rainwater,” he added. He said the paddy crop in the district will be lost if the monsoon does not start soon.

It is said farmers in the southern part of the district were compelled to depend on rainwater though Bagmati Irrigation Project has provided irrigation facility to farmers in the northern part of the district.

Local farmers of the southern part said that the land they prepared for plantation, has gone dry due to lack of water. Mahato further added that almost all fertile land might have become bare due to lack of water.

Meanwhile, District Agriculture Development Office, Rautahat celebrated National Paddy Day at a programme organised at Gaur Municipality in Rautahat today.

The day was celebrated on a paddy field that belonged to Ram Kisun Gupta at the municipality. He had prepared the land for paddy plantation with underground water.