Rising mercury hits wheat, milk production
Aparna Banerji
Jalandhar, April 30
The dramatic spike in maximum temperature has affected wheat and milk yields this year in the district and Doaba. While agro experts and climate scientists remain concerned on the larger implications of the weather, they say there is need of caution amid rising inclement weather.
Due to the unprecedented increase in temperatures in March, the wheat yield has been reduced by 5 to 7 quintals per hectare. Efforts are on to make farmers aware of water conservation techniques and water saving programmes are being introduced. To encourage plantation, officials are also guiding farmers regarding agro forestry. — Surinder Singh, District Agricultural Officer
District Agricultural Officer Surinder Singh said: “Due to the unprecedented increase in temperatures in March, the wheat yield has been reduced by 5 to 7 quintals per hectare. The weather has greatly impacted farmers and the yield. However, efforts are on to make farmers aware of water conservation techniques and water saving programmes are being introduced. To encourage plantation, officials are also guiding farmers regarding agro forestry. The weather is not just a Punjab phenomenon but a countrywide phenomenon and we can’’’’t control it, but means of increasing water saving, diversification and agroforestry will at least insulate some villages. Already villages which have much voluntary plantation and better green cover have a 2 to 3°C difference in temperature from other villages.”
Shivinder Singh, scientist, Meteorological Department, Chandigarh, said, “It was the hottest March in many years and the prediction for the coming months of summer is also the same. It will be hotter than normal. The directives are already being released from our department. While the monsoons are expected to be normal this year, the summer temperatures are likely to be above normal.”
Principal Scientific Officer, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Punjab, Gur Harminder Singh said, “Weather vagaries and global warming have massive implications in Punjab as the wheat yield this season was drastically reduced. February end as well as March saw unprecedented high temperatures also with a reported decline in the production of milk this year. As per the IPCC and UN reports on climate change South Asia is going to be a hotspot for the impacts of climate scenarios and also of vector-borne diseases caused resultantly.”
Singh added: “Multi-pronged strategies are being adopted for cleaning of rivers and making of STPs to treat all waste water for which deadline has been set for December 2023. The PM himself has committed in Glasgow to make India a carbon neutral country until 2070. All these projects are being reviewed at the Principal Secretary level. I believe the collective work will change the scenario in state for the better in coming five years”.
