CHANDIGARH/BATHINDA: Concerned over fast depleting groundwater table, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann urged the state’s farmers to opt for direct seeded rice (DSR) technology to cultivate paddy during the upcoming kharif season. There are 14.5 lakh agriculture pumps extracting underground water for irrigation in the state.
Chairing a meeting with Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), led by its coordinator Dr Darshan Pal, Mann referred to the findings of study conducted by PAU experts and said it was time to shift from paddy transplantation to ecofriendly, economically viable DSR technique, which would save groundwater by up to 15–20% and help recharge water table by 10%–15%, saving nearly Rs 3,000 per acre on input costs, including labour.
