Under the Crop Diversification Scheme, the Haryana government said on Friday that it will provide incentives to farmers this year to cultivate water-saving crops instead of paddy.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal has approved the implementation of ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana' as part of the crop diversification scheme for Kharif-2021.
Mr JP Dalal, who was presiding over a meeting of Agriculture Department officers, State Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister, stated that instead of paddy, farmers should be encouraged to cultivate alternative crops that use less water.
Rice cultivation has been losing ground as Haryana's groundwater table depletes by one metre every year due to non-stop paddy seeding. According to Haryana agricultural and farmers' welfare department's crop diversification scheme, 1kg rice cultivation consumes 2,000-5,000 litres of water.
Some parts of the state are currently in the black zone, which consists of 36 blocks where the rate of groundwater depletion has doubled in the last 12 years. It means that the ground water level, which was previously at 20 meters, has now dropped to 40 meters.
This strategy will further encourage water conservation and save water for future generations in the same way that people give their land to future generations as an inheritance.
He stated that this scheme will be implemented throughout the state, and that farmers will be able to cultivate alternative crops such as cotton, maize, pulses, groundnut, sesame, guar, castor, vegetables, and fruits in contrast to paddy. They would be offered a monetary incentive of Rs 7,000 per acre in exchange for this. This initiative will also benefit farmers who cultivate fodder instead of paddy or leave their land unoccupied.
Farmers interested in participating in this scheme must register on the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora' portal - https://fasal.haryana.gov.in/. The registration deadline had previously been set for June 25, 2021, however it has now been extended to July 15, 2021.
