Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann asks farmers to adopt DSR technology during Kharif season

Calling upon farmers to check the fast-depleting water table, Bhagwant Mann also directed the officers to visit the villages to encourage farmers to adopt the DSR technique in order to save water and electricity during Kharif season

: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday asked farmers to adopt eco-friendly and economically viable direct seeding of rice (DSR) technology during the upcoming Kharif season to save water and electricity.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann asks farmers to adopt DSR technology during Kharif season (HT file)

Mann made the remarks while chairing a meeting of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) led by Darshan Pal here.

Mann sought inputs from the representatives of 23 farmers’ organisations present in the meeting to suggest the state government for providing a staggering power supply to the agriculture sector to facilitate the farmers for sowing paddy through the DSR technique and the conventional paddy transplantation.

The chief minister proposed staggered power supply to avoid the peak load during the paddy sowing season, suggesting equitable power supply by Punjab state power corporation limited (PSPCL) as per region-wise demand, dividing the entire state into four zones.

Calling upon farmers to check the fast-depleting water table, Mann also directed the officers to visit the villages to encourage farmers to adopt the DSR technique in order to save water and electricity.

Earlier, Bharti Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan led by President Joginder Singh Ugrahan called on the chief minister.

Expressing concern over the findings of the study conducted by PAU experts, the CM said that it is high time to shift from the paddy transplantation to the eco-friendly and economically viable DSR technique which would help save the groundwater up to 15 to 20% and also increase recharging the underground water by 10 to 15%. He said the new method will also save Rs. 3,000 per acre on input costs including labour.

Encouraging farmers to opt for diversification of agriculture by sowing alternative crops like sugarcane, maize, pulses, and oilseeds, Mann assured them that the state government would soon take up the issue of giving MSP on these crops with the Centre.

He said that state agencies like Markfed would also be roped in for procurement of alternative crops on MSP.

The chief minister also urged farmers to go for sowing of paddy varieties viz. PR 126 and PR 121 with short duration of maturity and PUSA44 variety be discouraged, asking farmer body leaders to encourage basmati cultivation.

For the restoration of the canal irrigation system, Mann directed the water resources department to chalk out an action plan for the cleaning of water channels, distributaries, and canals.

Health minister Dr. Vijay Singla, chief secretary Anirudh Tewari, additional chief secretary to CM A. Venu Prasad, additional chief secretary water resources Sarvjit Singh, financial commissioner agriculture DK Tiwari, chairman-cum-managing director PSPCL Baldev Singh Sra, secretary agriculture Dilraj Singh, secretary revenue Manvesh Singh Sidhu and director agriculture Gurvinder Singh were also present during the meeting.