[ad_1]
PILIBHIT: On World Environment Day, the Pilibhit district agriculture department introduced a plan to conserve sub-soil water, which is being rapidly depleted due to excessive use in summer paddy cultivation.
Paddy crops, planted in March and harvested before the monsoon in June, rely on groundwater in the absence of rain, significantly reducing sub-soil water levels.
A scientist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Shailendra Singh Dhaka, said at least 2,000 litres of groundwater are needed to produce just 1.6 kgs of summer paddy. With 35,000-40,000 acres dedicated to summer paddy in the district, experts estimate that over 110 crore litres of groundwater are used annually for this crop.
A former plant physiologist at International Rice Research Institute, Philippines, Ravindra Kumar, told TOI that, “of the groundwater used for summer paddy, 40-45% evaporates, 35% transpires, 5-7% runs off, and only 13-20% percolates to recharge the soil”.
District agriculture officer Vinod Kumar Yadav and Dhaka developed a comprehensive plan recommending a shift to less water-intensive crops like pulses and maize. These crops not only reduce production costs and yield higher returns but also improve soil fertility. Pulses, such as ‘urad’ (black gram) and ‘moong’ (green gram beans), along with summer maize, are sown in March. These pulses enhance soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and eliminate the need for urea fertiliser, significantly lowering fertilisation costs.
Yadav said the plan will be submitted to the state govt for implementation in Terai regions and other districts like Kheri, Shahjahanpur, and Bahraich, where summer paddy is commonly grown.
District magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh said a restriction on summer paddy was first imposed in the district four years ago. This year, new directives were issued to encourage farmers to switch crops to conserve sub-soil water.
Moreover, reports indicated that summer paddy cultivation along the Gomti and Mala rivers has adversely affected water discharge in these streams and water storage status of Phulhar Lake in Madhotanda village, where the Gomti originates in Pilibhit.
Paddy crops, planted in March and harvested before the monsoon in June, rely on groundwater in the absence of rain, significantly reducing sub-soil water levels.
A scientist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Shailendra Singh Dhaka, said at least 2,000 litres of groundwater are needed to produce just 1.6 kgs of summer paddy. With 35,000-40,000 acres dedicated to summer paddy in the district, experts estimate that over 110 crore litres of groundwater are used annually for this crop.
A former plant physiologist at International Rice Research Institute, Philippines, Ravindra Kumar, told TOI that, “of the groundwater used for summer paddy, 40-45% evaporates, 35% transpires, 5-7% runs off, and only 13-20% percolates to recharge the soil”.
District agriculture officer Vinod Kumar Yadav and Dhaka developed a comprehensive plan recommending a shift to less water-intensive crops like pulses and maize. These crops not only reduce production costs and yield higher returns but also improve soil fertility. Pulses, such as ‘urad’ (black gram) and ‘moong’ (green gram beans), along with summer maize, are sown in March. These pulses enhance soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and eliminate the need for urea fertiliser, significantly lowering fertilisation costs.
Yadav said the plan will be submitted to the state govt for implementation in Terai regions and other districts like Kheri, Shahjahanpur, and Bahraich, where summer paddy is commonly grown.
District magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh said a restriction on summer paddy was first imposed in the district four years ago. This year, new directives were issued to encourage farmers to switch crops to conserve sub-soil water.
Moreover, reports indicated that summer paddy cultivation along the Gomti and Mala rivers has adversely affected water discharge in these streams and water storage status of Phulhar Lake in Madhotanda village, where the Gomti originates in Pilibhit.
[ad_2]
Source link