Kollegal: The head of Organic Research and Training Center (ORTC), Tsering Dorjee, and a team representing the Department of Home, Central Tibetan Administration, visited Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement in Kollegal for the assessment of drought-hit areas on 20 December 2023.
The visiting group convened a meeting with Settlement Officer, Chairman and Secretary of Cooperative society, representatives of 22 villages, and AEO to form an assessment committee. On the subsequent day, the committee visited all the 22 villages for assessment of drought affected fields.
The farmers of Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement, Karnataka, are badly hit by lack of rain this year, prompting the State Government to declare some areas of Karnataka state as drought affected region, including Hanur Taluk of Chamarajanagar District where Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement is established.
The crop loss due to drought hit has left many of farmers debt ridden, leaving them with no capital of their own to invest in the agricultural works. Most of the farming is done with interest free loans from Department of Home and Cooperative Society. In addition to the deficiency of family income, the drought pushed Tibetan farmers into heavy debt, a major problem faced by all farmers of the settlement.
-Report filed by TSO, Dhondenling