Fed up with inaction, Karnataka farmers pool Rs 3 lakh to repair 3.5-km road

After repeated appeals to authorities went unanswered, around 150 farmers pooled money and repaired a damaged road leading to their fields. The stretch, riddled with potholes after heavy rains, had reportedly caused several accidents and injuries.

In Short

• Around 150 farmers contributed Rs 2,000 per acre for repairs
• The 3.5-km stretch serves nearly 500 acres of irrigated farmland
• Deep potholes on the road had led to accidents and injuries

Frustrated by what they described as prolonged official inaction, farmers in Karnataka’s Ballari have pooled Rs 3 lakh to repair a 3.5-km service road leading to their fields. The stretch, used by farmers cultivating nearly 500 acres of irrigated land, had fallen into disrepair and become difficult to use.

About 150 farmers contributed Rs 2,000 per acre and used tractors, JCB machines and gravel to restore the damaged road. They said the work was taken up after repeated requests to government officials and elected representatives for repairs did not get a response.

According to the farmers, the road had developed deep potholes and several accidents and injuries had occurred on the stretch. They said they had earlier collected money and repaired the road themselves three years ago, but heavy rains last year damaged it completely again and left behind large potholes.

Using tractors, JCBs and gravel, the farmers repaired the full stretch to make access to their fields safer.

Lokesh, one of the farmers involved in the exercise, said they have had to carry out such repairs almost every year because of the lack of official support.

He said water from the canal regularly flows onto the road, washing away parts of it and causing repeated damage.

"Every year, we farmers undertake these repairs ourselves because there is no support from anyone. Water from the canal flows onto the road every year and damages it. The road gets washed away repeatedly," Lokesh said.

The farmers have now urged the authorities to build a permanent cement concrete road, saying it would stop the road from being damaged every two or three years and provide a lasting solution.

The repair work, funded and carried out by the farmers themselves, followed repeated complaints over the condition of the road and renewed their demand for a permanent fix.

- Ends