Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Times of India
The Times of India
National
Neel Kamal | TNN

Punjab targets to bring 30 lakh acres of paddy under DSR technique

BATHINDA: The Punjab agriculture department has fixed the target to bring 30 lakh acres (12 lakh hectares) of paddy under direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique during current kharif season, which is double as compared to last year. The move is aimed to conserve the underground water.

According to an official spokesperson, efforts are being made to bring around 12 lakh hectares under this innovative technology instead of traditional puddled transplanting of paddy as DSR needs far less water for irrigation, improves percolation, reduces dependence on farm labour and improves soil health, thus enhancing yield of both paddy and wheat.

To encourage the farmers for sowing paddy through DSR, the state government has already decided Rs 1,500 per acre incentive to the farmers for sowing of paddy through this innovative technology. A sum of Rs 450 crore has been earmarked to provide incentive to the farmers for promotion of less water consuming technology.

The farmers from across the state would cultivate paddy including Basmati over an area of 30 lakh hectares (75 lakh acres) during this kharif season. As per the available data, last year, 15 lakh acres (6 lakh hectares) paddy was cultivated through DSR.

To achieve this objective, the state government deputed nearly 3,000 officials of various departments including agriculture, horticulture, Mandi Board and water & soil conservation to motivate the farmers to adopt this eco-friendly technique. The Punjab Agriculture University in Ludhiana has provided the one-day special training to the officers of the agriculture department about DSR technology. Apart from this, village level training camps were also being organized by the agriculture department for a cluster of 5-7 villages each.

As per the reports, the rats are damaging direct sown paddy crop in some areas, chief minister Bhagwant Mann has directed the agriculture department to provide rat control pesticides to farmers free of cost. The concerned duty officer of the villages will distribute pesticides (Bromodylon / Zinkphosphide) to the needy farmers.

Meanwhile, director of agriculture dept, Gurvinder Singh informed that DSR technique helps to save nearly about 15-20 per cent water as compared to the conventional puddling method during the life cycle of crops.

Pertinently, the alarming situation arises out of fast depleting ground water, mainly due to water-guzzling traditional method of paddy transplantation, needs bold measures to check this serious trend instantly. Currently, the water table is falling at a rate of 86cm per year leading to a precarious situation, when no underground water will be available across the state in the coming 15-20 years.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.