In fact, the Punjab Government has officially conveyed to the Union Government that its farmers have been finding it hard to save their paddy crop in the absence of adequate rainfall in the region.The cost of production is expected to go up by Rs 3,000 per acre because of the prevailing situation in the state. And same is true for Haryana.
A look at the data with regard to rainfall in Punjab and Haryana presents a very grim picture for both.
In Punjab, the Hoshiarpur belt is the worst hit. Rainfall in the district has been down by 84 per cent from its normal. In Moga district, this figure is 74 per cent and in Bathinda district it is 51 per cent. Ludhiana and Sangrur districts are also facing 51 per cent deficient rainfall.
In Haryana, the Mohindergarh belt is one the hardest hit areas. Rainfall has been down by 59 per cent in Mohindergarh and 49 per cent in Kaithal.
It is down by 48 per cent in Karnal and 50 per cent in Gurgaon. Interestingly, the Sirsa area has seen rainfall in excess.
Apart from monsoon, farmers in Punjab and Haryana rely on tubewells to irrigate their fields. Punjab has about 10 lakh tubewells and a good network of canals.
However, pumping out of water through tubewells is affecting the groundwater level severely.
Director Agriculture, Punjab, Balwinder Singh Sidhu said groundwater level would go down by around three feet if the present trend of pumping out of water continued till the harvesting of paddy crop.
He said last year, the water
level had gone down by two and half feet.
“Today, I sent a report in this regard to the Union Government. In fact, I send such reports to the Union Government every Monday to keep them abreast of the latest situation of paddy cultivation in the state,” he added.
He said though drought-like situation existed in Punjab, it would not affect the production level of the crop. “Farmers are spending a lot of money to save the crop,”
he added.
However, in case rain arrived late i.e. in the last week of September, it would hit the paddy crop hard.
“Punjab needs the rain now and not in September,” he added. The late arrival of rain will not only affect the quality of paddy but also hit the yield,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, the local meteorological office said monsoon, which has been scarce in the region, would remain in the region till September 15. It was hopeful of rainfall in the days to come.
