Farm unions too oppose early paddy sowing

It’s not just agriculture experts, environment crusaders or agro-economists in Punjab who are opposing the Punjab Government move to advance the date of paddy transplantation.

Many farmer unions, too, have often opposed this, raising concerns about the fast-depleting groundwater in the state.

Their opposition to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s move to advance the date for transplantation from June 15 to June 1 comes close on the heels of a petition filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) today by advocate HC Arora.

The petition has sought directions to the state government against implementing the decision.

The latest data of the Central Ground Water Board (in January this year) reveals that the water level has declined by 0-2 m in 59.17 per cent of the area. A decline of 2-4 m has been observed in 0.08 per cent of the area and over 4-m decline has been observed in less than 1 per cent of the area.

Balbir Singh Rajewal, senior leader, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, told The Tribune that the groundwater depletion is a big challenge for the state’s agrarian economy.

“At the current rate of groundwater depletion, which will be aggravated by the early paddy transplantation, the second aquifer will dry up in a year. Various studies have pointed out that the second aquifer has higher than permissible levels of lead and arsenic, thus making it unsuitable for drinking or even use in agriculture. The repurcussions of the decision of advancing the paddy transplantation are huge. This is just a short-sighted approach of the government,” he said.

The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Dakaunda) has started telling its members not to be swayed by the decision and wait till at least June 10. General secretary of the union, Jagmohan Singh Patiala, said the government move would be of no benefit to the farmers “When governments complete three years in power, they take such irrational and populist decisions without realising the cost that the state’s farmers and agrarian economy will have to bear in future,” he said.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, leader of SKM (Non-Political), said the need of the hour was to have a policy for agriculture diversification so as to wean farmers away from water-guzzling paddy.