As a part of its initiative to conserve underground water, the Punjab Government has decided to bear 50 per cent of expenses incurred by the farmers on laying underground pipes for irrigation. Giving details, State Agriculture Commissioner and Chief Conservator Balwinder Singh Sidhu on Tuesday said that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is desirous of encouraging farmers towards crop diversification.
Farmers should sow cash crops or easily marketable commercial crops in the available small tracts of land, instead of wheat or paddy, and thereby conserve ground water, he said. Sandhu said that the Chief Minister has travelled far and wide and observed agricultural practices in other countries and has even deliberated upon best agricultural practices with the experts.
“So, it has been decided that Punjab Government will extend a subsidy of 50 per cent to the farmers for laying underground pipes for irrigation…This technique of irrigation saves up to 25 per cent of water and the crop yield goes up by 20 per cent more,” he said.
He said that it is an ideal method to come out of wheat-paddy cycle and move towards horticulture. The underground pipes also end the dependency on irrigation canals, he said.
Sandhu said that farmers can use cement or PVC pipes as per their own choice and suggested that farmers should consult soil conservation officers in their respective districts and get detailed information about the scheme.