The ongoing dry spell and delayed monsoon have cast a shadow over paddy cultivation in Jammu's RS Pura sector, one of India's most celebrated Basmati rice-producing regions.
Farmers along the International Border are grappling with acute water shortages during the critical transplantation season, raising fears of lower yields and heavy financial losses.
Known worldwide for its premium RS Pura Basmati rice, the border belt is witnessing significantly below-normal rainfall. With irrigation canals running dry, inadequate irrigation infrastructure, and frequent power cuts limiting access to groundwater, farmers say they are struggling to keep their fields alive.
Farm labourers describe fields that should be flooded with water as nearly dry, forcing them to wait anxiously for rainfall. They warn that unless the monsoon arrives soon, newly transplanted paddy saplings may not survive.
Farmers also say the delayed rains have pushed back sowing operations, leaving crops vulnerable during one of the most crucial stages of cultivation. The prolonged water shortage has already begun affecting young paddy plants, with many fields showing signs of drying up.