In most parts of Pondicherry, agricultural activities are carried out through ‘borewell’ water. In arable lands, soil fertility is affected and yields are reduced due to monoculture.
Soil damage
Farmers are using various chemical fertilizers to increase the yield. Thus, there is a risk that the arable land will be affected and at some point become infertile. The farmer who wants to, from which lake, how much soil he wants to take, should give a petition to the Department of Agriculture.
Government subsidy
Following this, as per the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture, the area to be taken by the farmer at the specific water level will be measured by the Public Works Department officials. The farmer should take the soil at his own expense and improve the land. Later, the cost of transporting the soil was subsidized by the Department of Agriculture.
Sudden stop
The ‘Land Development Project’, which was well received by the farmers, was discontinued in 2004. Due to this, the work of improving the arable lands was completely halted. To change the salinity of these lands, the demand for alluvial soil increased.
New project
In this context, the Government of Pondicherry came up with a scheme in 2019 to remove alluvial soil from lakes for aquaculture, capacity building and arable land development project.
With the petition, you have to pay Rs.1000 per load of soil. Following that, the PWD officials will measure the area to be excavated by the farmer in the particular lake. After that, the farmer has to take the soil at his own expense.
Great cost
Under this new scheme of the government, farmers have to spend huge sums to improve the land. As a result, farmers are reluctant to take up alluvial soil in water bodies, including lakes.