Punjab achieves 94 pc paddy cultivation

With farm operations in Punjab not being dependent on monsoon, paddy has already been planted in 94 per cent of the targeted area.  The area to be covered under paddy this season is 27.8 lakh hectares. Paddy is the main crop in this season in the state.

The state government officials maintain that almost the entire state is under assured irrigation with about 70 per cent of the area being under tubewell irrigation and the rest of the area is supplied water by canals. Even in the canal fed area, tubewells are the standby arrangements.

An official spokesman said when the country is facing drought like situation due to deficit rainfall, Punjab had succeeded in maintaining its target of crop production. The state government had pressed the Centre to announce higher bonus to compensate the farmers for higher cost of input. That demand is still pending with the Centre.

Tubewells are supplied free power in the state but still the farmers resort to diesel pumps  in some areas due to shortage of electricity or the connection having not been sanctioned. The cost goes up for the farmers who run diesel pump sets. In case of free power, it is the government’s subsidy bill that goes up, say the state government officials.

The water flow in the canals is reduced by10 per cent due to less water inflows in the Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dam systems. This would affect Rajasthan and Haryana.

The level in the Bhakra Dam was 1,551.63 feet on Tuesday. It was down by 60.07 feet compared with the level on the same date last year. The inflow was 28,600 cusecs, while the outflow was 24,577 cusecs.

In the Pong Dam, the level of water on Tuesday was 1,291.86 feet, down by 61.48 feet, compared with the level on the same date last year. With a cut of 10 per cent in water supply, the daily water reduction in Punjab canals would be around 2,000 cusecs.