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Crop diversification the key to arresting the slide

Haryana’s water woes call for remedial steps.The entire cultivation of water-guzzlingpaddy must be done through DirectSeedingofRice,along with the micro-irrigation technique.Paddy cultivation should be restricted to areas where irrigation water is available through canals.The state government should offer MSP for crops with lower water consumption, incentivising farmers to opt for them over rice.Initiatives suchas MeraPaniMeriVirasatYojana have a key role to playin promoting cropdiversification.