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Haryana CM Khattar stresses on water conservation, alternative crops
Addressing an inaugural session of the two-day ‘Water Conclave’ under Amrit Jal Kranti, organised by the Haryana Water Resources Authority, at Panchkula on Wednesday, the CM dedicated the event to five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who had passed away on Tuesday night.
Stressing on the need to work towards water conservation, Haryana chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar said it is not possible without the active participation of the public.
Addressing an inaugural session of the two-day ‘Water Conclave’ under Amrit Jal Kranti, organised by the Haryana Water Resources Authority, at Panchkula on Wednesday, the CM dedicated the event to five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who had passed away on Tuesday night.
While revealing that 85 blocks of Haryana are in the dark zone (area where groundwater depletion exceeds the rate of recharging), Khattar said Haryana does not have any natural source of water and only rainwater and naturally flowing water from the mountains are the sources. Besides, the state receives an average rainfall of 150 mm. “In addition, water is supplied from the Yamuna river along with water of Sutlej Ravi Beas through Bhakra Dam. We are not getting 3.5 MAF (million acre feet) water due to SYL. Presently, the water availability in Haryana is 20 MAF while the demand is 34 MAF. The challenge for us is to bridge this 14 MAF gap,” he added.
Need for rainwater harvesting
He said that to meet the gap, rainwater harvesting systems would have to be set up. Apart from this, the capacities of reservoirs, ponds and lakes will have to be increased and groundwater recharging will also have to be done.
Talking of water management, the Haryana CM said that to promote the use of treated water, 200 STPs and wastewater treatment plants have been set up in the state, out of which about 1,800 MLD water is being used. “Monitoring of groundwater exploitation and its use should be done along with assessment of groundwater in six months or a year,” he said.
CM exhorts farmers to adopt alternative crops, DSR
CM Khattar also appealed to the farmers to cultivate alternative crops instead of paddy for water conservation. The CM said that in areas where alternative crops are not cultivated, farmers should sow paddy by DSR method, which saves about 50% water. He said that Haryana is the state which buys maximum crops on MSP in the country. “Instead of paddy, the farmers should adopt crops, such as millet, cotton, maize etc, that require less water,” said Khattar.
He said if any institution or any government organisation comes forward to demonstrate natural farming, the state government will provide it land for farms. Khattar said in order to promote coarse grains, permission was taken for the supply of millet at the depot through PDS for three months.
‘Parkash Badal told me to take care of farmers’
Addressing the gathering, the Haryana CM said, “It is a coincidence that this conclave is being held at a time when the messiah of farmers and former chief minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, is no more among us. He always used to talk about the farmers.”
Recalling a meeting with Parkash Badal last year, the CM said when he had gone to meet him at the hospital, he told him to take care of the farmers.
