Tiptur in the district has a unique place simply because of the coconut trees  it is famous for. Even the neighbouring states’ people the moment they hear Tiptur’s name the first word that come to their mouth is ‘copra.’

Such a region is now in trouble. Not only has the price of copra gone down but the people are thirsting for water here. Thus it is facing a twin problem.

A few years back mite disease had struck the crop and just when the farmers were recovering from this attack, the prices of coconut and copra crashed.

If this is one side of the problem, the water problem that the people in Kasaba hobli and Honnavalli hobli of Tiptur taluk are facing is the other side of the problem.

The farmers and the people are worried with this twin problem. Tiptur which has all the makings of a district headquarters however along with the 120 odd villages in and around it are facing water problem.

Coconut problem

In nearly 18,561 hectares coconut is grown in Titpur region. Even till 2005 the price of coconut per quintal in Tiptur market was between Rs 8,900 and Rs 9,000.

Earlier to this in 2003 when the maximum crop (24 lakh quintal) was grown, the farmers got between Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,000 per quintal. But slowly the price of coconut started climbing down. The farmers were a worried lot. Even though the State government had announced support price, various farmers’ associations alleged that it was of no use to them.

Now in the Tiptur market the maximum price they get is Rs 4,000 per quintal. “The prices of all commodities have skyrocketed. Even the people’s representatives decided to hike their salaries. But they forgot the farmers.

However, the price of coconut in the outside market has not come down nor has the demand for it come down. But the farmers in Tiptur market are not getting the correct price, said State Farmers’ Association’s Yoganandaswami with lot of pain in his heart.

Drinking water

The water table in Kasaba hobli and Honnavalli hobli has dropped to less than 1000 feet. In the last decade the water problem has assumed gigantic proportions. If one calculates the amount of money spent to solve water problem and the crop loss, the estimation is around Rs 9.75 crore, feel Karnataka State Farmers Association members .

The Honnavalli lift irrigation should be immediately implemented and a fair support price for copra should be given by the government, demand the farmers’ associations.