Use of treated water in farms a challenge

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 22

Though the Local Bodies Department has proposed to provide treated water free of cost from the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Khapar Kheri to farmers for irrigating their fields, the government faces the challenge of convincing farmers who are dependent on submersible tube wells for irrigation.

The STP plant was inaugurated yesterday.

As the farmers are heavily dependent on the electricity powered submersible tube wells which they use as per their convenience, officials are finding it difficult to persuade farmers to use the treated water. “If we are facing such a problem now when farmers need much water for paddy crop, it will be difficult to the put the water to irrigation use when the demand is less during the harvesting season or wheat cultivation,” said an official of the Soil and Water Conservation Department.

Officials say a water channel is required to make use of the treated water.

MLA OP Soni, who had inaugurated the plant yesterday, said, it would help save groundwater. He said that a system for effective use of the water would be devised. “If the system is friendly, there is no reason why farmers would not use it,” he added.