Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Saving groundwater in Punjab is shared responsibility, farmers should respond logically, says Bir Devinder
Babushahi Bureau
Mohali, May 18, 2022: Bir Devinder Singh, former Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha spoke on the ongoing agitation of farmer unions in the state. He said that saving groundwater is a collective responsibility and that farmers should respond logically to the present situation.
"The groundwater table in Punjab is falling at an alarming rate. If the overexploitation of the groundwater for growing paddy in Punjab is not checked assiduously and determinedly, I’m afraid, that the majority of the tubewells in Punjab would stop functioning. According to a study; out of Punjab’s total area of 5.03 million hectares, 4.32 million hectares have a serious water table falling problem. The Punjab agriculture scientists of PAU, who are credited to usher in an era of green revolution in Punjab are also to be blamed for the overexploitation of the soil and the groundwater of Punjab for suggesting new innovative techniques to the farmers to yield better results in utter disregard of the soil erosion and fast depleting groundwater table. The overexploitation of the soil for paddy plantation has made the soil nonreceptive, rather barren for other crops, which is why the crop diversification plans and initiatives are not catching up in Punjab in the desired proportion," stated former Deputy Speaker.
He further appreciated the initiative taken by Bhagwant Mann on conserving depleting groundwater.
"I appreciate the initiative of the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on the advice of the agriculture scientists and the Groundwater resources management experts to take the determined measures to save the fast depleting groundwater in Punjab. I would urge the farmers' organization who are opposing and agitating against the suggestive measures of the State Government for sowing paddy in Punjab, to prevent the fast depleting of the groundwater table, to see reason and logically respond to the initiative of the state Government.The farmers and the farmer’s organizations in Punjab must understand the grave situation of the Groundwater and it is not only the sole responsibility of the Government or Mr. Bhagwant Mann to save groundwater, it’s rather a shared responsibility of everybody. The Punjab farmers being the important stakeholders and beneficiaries of the groundwater resources must come forward and recast their priorities in order to reciprocate and cooperate the measures of the government, rather than resisting the right move by way of agitation," he added.