In a bid to make water resources regime sustainable and ensure equity in distribution of natural resource in the state, the Manohar lal Khattar Government has chalked out ‘Rice Shoot Policy – 2018.’
Under the policy, no rice shoot will be allowed on channels with discharge less than 10 cusecs. Besides, no temporary rice shoots will be sanctioned to the persons found guilty of un-authorized irrigation in past five years.
Earlier, the State Government had released the Rice Shoot Policy in the year 2016 but this time, new criteria have been added to the policy to facilitate rice cultivation.
The rice shoots sanctioned by the competent authority be got removed after September 30 and before October 7 each year and the same shall be ensured by the concerned executive engineer (Xen), the policy stated.
Under this, rice shoots shall not be given on those channels where tails did not get proper and authorized irrigation during the last two years. The supply to the rice shoot outlets should be made after ensuring authorized full supply to other farmers on regular outlets.
The minimum area for a temporary rice shoot will be 20 acres, out of which at least 25 percent of the area for which rice shoots have been sought are to be grown with crop other than rice. An affidavit to this effect shall be submitted by the beneficiaries. Any violation on this account shall render the beneficiaries ineligible to avail the rice shoots in the succeeding years and such rice shoots shall be immediately withdrawn, the policy asserted.
The last date for receipt of applications under the policy for considering sanction of rice shoots will be upto July 15 in 2018 and July 1 in the subsequent years. Temporary rice shoots will be allowed to run normally upto September 30, 2018.
The temporary rice shoots will be allowed on two main canal systems in Haryana—the Bhakra Canal System and the WJC System. However, no rice shoots will be allowed on any main line, branch line, or feeder channel as the State Government has decided that no outlet of any kind shall be provided on these channels.
The policy also pointed out that the rice cultivation in Haryana far exceeds its in-state consumption and the area under rice farming has increased rapidly over the years due to increased access to irrigation from canals and mindless drawl of groundwater due to practice of flood irrigation.
Major part of some of the varieties of rice are grown only for exports. Research has established that a kilogram of rice production consumes over 5000 liter of water stretching the logic to the extent that Haryana is indirectly exporting its water instead even at the perils of future generations as water balance is severely strained in the state now, it added.