By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, June 6: Local farmers in Dakshinkali Municipality have started paddy plantation, despite the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
In the municipality, rice is normally planted between mid-June and late-July to take advantage of the seasonal monsoon rains, which are essential for good harvest.
Farmers are now busy preparing paddy fields and purchasing other essentials to plant rice.
Unlike in the past, this year enthusiasm among the farmers has fizzled because many of them have contracted the virus.
Since April 29, when the prohibitory order went into effect, most people have been staying at their home to prevent the virus’s transmission. However, that has not deterred many people living in the areas outside the ring road of Kathmandu from starting farming activities during that period.
Rice plantation in some parts of Bagmati, Kageshwori, Manohara and Bishnumati rivers corridor has already begun and a host of farmers are seen planting paddy.
Normally rice is planted between mid-April and late-May in Sahkhu area of Shankharapur Municipality, Gagalphadi, Aalopot of Kageshwori Manohara Municipality and across the Manamata River corridor, in the north-east of Kathmandu.
The farmers in southern area -- like Dakshinkali, Bungumati, Chovar, among others -- are also gearing up for paddy plantation.
Sabita Shrestha, of Sokhel, Dakshinkali Municipality, one of the coronavirus infected area, said that ongoing prohibitory order has not affected farming activities but the infections of the virus have, compromising their zeal to plant paddy.
Her neighbors had recently started planting the samplings, but that stopped abruptly after all of the family members were found infected with the virus, she said.