Kurukshetra to promote crop diversification, micro-irrigation

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, October 20

To improve groundwater level of Thanesar, Babain, Ismailabad and Pipli blocks, the district administration will be promoting micro-irrigation and motivate farmers to adopt crop diversification, as common measures suggested by groundwater experts, who have been preparing village-specific water security plans for 189 villages of Pehowa, Shahabad and Ladwa blocks under the Centre’s Atal Bhujal scheme.

Under the scheme, 51 villages of Pehowa, 65 of Shahabad and 75 of the Ladwa block, identified as dark zones, were selected to improve the groundwater level.

As per the information, the groundwater level in the district in 1974 was 10.55 metres but it has now dropped to around 40.38 metres in 2021.

According to a survey report of June 2021, due to overexploitation of underground water, the situation has worsened in all seven blocks of the district. The groundwater level in Babain block was available at 41.92 metre, Ladwa at 33.42 metre, Pehowa at 39.54 metre, Shahabad at 44.39 metre, Thanesar 36.89 metre, Ismailabad at 45.36 metres, while Pipli at 41.17 metre.

While, in June 1974, the groundwater level in Babain block was available at 11.92 metre, Ladwa at 11.50 metre, Pehowa at 5.95 metre, Shahabad at 9.51 metre, Thanesar 13.89 metre, Ismailabad at 10.42 metres, while Pipli at 10.63 metre.

Dr Naveen Nain (groundwater expert) said during the study of well-inventory and well-monitoring data, it was found that the water level of 20 villages of Pehowa, which had been covered under the Atal Bhujal scheme, varied between 36.16 meter to 45.72 meter. It is clear that average water level of Pehowa block has dropped to nearly 40 meters. Village-specific water security plans for 20 villages have been prepared and now the data of other villages are also being collected to understand the water availability, water utilisation, water balance, and water budget.”

Additional Deputy Commissioner Akhil Pilani, who has been monitoring the project, said “As many as 189 villages of Kurukshetra were identified and selected under the Centre’s Atal Bhujal Yojana and all focus is on these villages. The village-specific water security plans are being prepared on the basis of the scientific data collected by the team. But at the same time the administration will also implement the common measures in the remaining four blocks as well. I had a meeting with the team working on the Atal Bhujal scheme here and soon a meeting will be held with all district officials concerned. It will be ensured that all recharge pits are working effectively, micro-irrigation plans are implemented and farmers will be motivated to adopt crop diversification.”