"Save water" campaign launched in rural Punjab

Ludhiana, Apr 2 (UNI) Panjab Agricultural University (PAU) has launched a state-wide campaign ''Save Water, Save Punjab'', aimed at creating awareness among the farmers to delay sowing of paddy to save the depleting water resources Specially designed posters to draw attention of the farmers on how fast water table goes down, will be pasted across the villages in the state emphasising on the need to delay paddy transplantation till June 15. A graph on the poster shows that early sown paddy is detrimental to state's economy and ecology. If farmers sow paddy on May one, water depletion goes down to the extent of 17 cm per year, it decreases to 60 cm if paddy is sown on May 20, 28 cm if sown on May 30 and deputes to 60 cm if sown on June 10.

The campaign was launched last week from Sangrur, the worst effected district of Punjab where the water table fall in 2004-05 was 1.7 feet from earlier 8.7 feet, in all its 12 blocks.

According to PAU's Director of Extension Education, Dr S S Gill, soil scientists have observed over a period of time that delaying transplantation of paddy till or beyond June 15 helps to replenish the aquifer.

This campaign is a part of ''Niche Area Project on Soil and Water Management'' given to the PAU by the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) which has also provided Rs 2.6 crore.

The Additional Director Research (agri) at PAU Dr G S Hira, while launching the campaign said besides loss of water, ground water depletion was also detrimental to the soil health and causes nutrient deficiency.

Dr Hira said water depletion has reached an alarming proportion.

As many as 100 out of 141 blocks in the state have been categorised as ''dark blocks''. The worst effected area is Central Punjab, where the water depth is below 30 feet in 95 per cent area and water table is falling at the rate of 54 cm per year on an average.

Dr Gill, who is spear-heading the state wide campaign said, pulling out large acreage from under paddy will take time. However, delaying transplantation of paddy till and beyond June 15 will at least save water. His advice to the farmers is to opt for less water consuming crops, particularly, horticultural and vegetables.

He called upon the farmers to sow five trees around their tube wells and water pumps to provide green cover to rural Punjab.

Atleast three kanal should be earmaked for laying out an organic farm kitchen garden, of minimum five fruit trees should be sown to provide nutrition to the family, should be earmrked, he added.

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