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Groundwater conservation in Punjab—click here

Editorial on Groundwater conservation in Punjab.

An expert committee suggests delaying of paddy crop till June 25 to conserve groundwater.

Punjab Agricultural University ( PAU).
Central Pollution Control Board ( CPCB).
Punjab Pollution Control Board ( PPCB).
The committee has suggested to the National Green Tribunal ( NGT) that sowing of paddy should be delayed by a week.
Due to this delay, the demand for water of its 3 crore population could be met for around 3.64 years.
The committee has estimated that the 14.5 lakh tubewells pump out more than 4300 billion litres of water per week.( If 8-hour electricity supply is taken into consideration).
This amount of water pumped out could be conserved for around 3.5 years.

Average yearly consumption of water in Ludhiana is 274 billion cubic litres.
If paddy cultivation is delayed by a week, the city’s demand for water will be fulfilled for 16 years.
As of now, the groundwater level is going down by an average of 1 metre every year.
But, on account of the pressure from the farmer’s Unions, the date of paddy sowing was advanced to June 13 last year.
PPCB had also recommended that the Punjab Preservation of Subsoil water act, 2009 should be amended and June 25 should be made the official date for paddy sowing.
Dependence on rainwater rather than groundwater is the ideal scenario for rice crop in Punjab.
Even though, Agricultural diversification is the Solution to break the cycle of wheat – paddy cultivation.
Especially in the Malwa region of Punjab, paddy cultivation should be discouraged.