Fields inundated, basmati, sugarcane output may be hit in Punjab

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, August 17

The production of two crops – basmati and sugarcane – likely to be hit because of the opening of floodgates of dams in Punjab, leaving fields inundated.

As thousands of cusecs of water, released from both Pong and Bhakra dams, flowed into the fields in Gurdasapur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Ropar and Sangrur, the standing crops in almost 130 villages have been hit. Officials in the state Agriculture Department say that the extent of damage to the crops will be ascertained only after two or three days.

“If the water drains out in a day or so, there will be less damage. But if the crops remain submerged, these will face a major damage, especially basmati and sugarcane, which are grown in this belt,” said Director, Agriculture, Gurvinder Singh. He added that once the water began to recede, the field staff would start assessing the crop damage.

Today, 80,200 cusecs of water was released from the Pong Dam and another 74,400 cusecs from the Bhakra Dam. The water level in the Pong, in spite of the outflow, continued to be high at 1,395.29 feet, over five feet above the maximum level. The water level in the Bhakra has receded slightly (by two feet) since yesterday at 1,675.82 feet against a maximum level of 1,680 feet.

It is learnt that 52 villages of Gurdasapur, 36 of Kapurthala, 22 of Ropar, 13 of Sangrur and seven of Hoshiarpur – where these two crops are grown – have been hit.

This year, the government has brought in 6 lakh hectare under basmati – up from 4.94 lakh hectare last year. The area under sugarcane this year is 1.20 lakh hectare, almost similar as last year. Basmati and sugarcane are bought by private traders and sugar mills. While the prices of basmati are determined by the market, sugarcane growers get a State-Advised Price.

The increasing area under these crops is part of the AAP’s push towards agriculture diversification. However, if the crops are adversely hit, it directly impacts the crop diversification programme as farmers will then go in for the “safer but water guzzling” non-basmati paddy.