Half‑Million Hectares of Paddy Threatened by Water Shortage in Vidisha

A looming water crisis threatens up to 760 square kilometres of rice fields in Vidisha district, Madhya Pradesh. Jitu Patwari, the state president of the Congress party, highlighted the alarming shortfall after posting a copy of his letter to the chief minister on social media.

Rainfall statistics reveal a drastic drop: Vidisha tehsil recorded only 29% of its usual precipitation, with neighboring tehsils registering similar deficits. The shortage has left farmers waiting for water releases from the Halali reservoir, which is currently at a level of 459.29 metres, slightly below the full‑capacity threshold of 459.61 metres.

Patwari also drew attention to the fact that central agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, whose parliamentary seat covers Vidisha, has not ensured adequate irrigation for his own voters. He called the discrepancy between the government's promotional slogan and the harsh reality on the fields a "gross mismatch".

The party leader urged swift action from both the state government and the irrigation department to prevent a massive loss of the rice crop and to keep the farming community from resorting to protests.