BATHINDA: A meeting of the 'Kirti Kisan Forum' comprising former IAS, IPS, provincial services and Army officers was held on Wednesday to discuss the challenges facing agriculture and rural development in Punjab and to find possible solutions. The discussions centered round reasons for falling groundwater level, crop diversification, minimum support prices for commodities, crop damage due to climate change, urge to settle abroad, suicides being committed in farm sector. Agriculture and food expert Davinder Sharma delivered lecture about global agriculture and food scenarios and minimum assured income for farmers in the country.
Presiding over the meeting, Swaran Singh Boparai and Ramesh Inder Singh said that 70% population of Punjab depended on agriculture for their livelihood. The entire economy of the state is directly linked to agriculture. Future progress depends on how quickly we can bring crop diversification and add value to food grains and then send them to the foreign market.
They said that canal water was the soul and lifeline of Punjab. Instead of educating the farmers about the benefits of utilising the canal water for agriculture, the authorities promoted the installation of tube-wells over the decades and it resulted in depletion of the subsoil water to a critical level. The level has gone so deep that even high powered motors are unable to pump out water. Instead of ensuring adequate irrigation of the fields of Punjab, the water, contrary to the riparian law, has been given to the neighbouring states.
Serious concern was also expressed that the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers has contaminated the drinking water. In any case, canal water should cover half the cultivable area of Punjab if the state is to be saved from becoming barren.
The Punjab government's recent announcement of support price and promise to purchase maize and moong crops were lauded.
