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In a step further aimed at saving 15-20 per cent of the state's precious groundwater, the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Thursday started the Direct Sowing of Rice (DSR).
This will act as a catalyst for checking the further depletion of groundwater and supplement farmers' incomes in a big way, said a statement from the CMO. In a statement issued here on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that since taking charge of his office, his government has taken several groundbreaking initiatives to safeguard the interests of the farmers. He said that only the state government has encouraged the DSR paddy cultivation technique as part of this endeavour, and sowing under the scheme has started today (Thursday). Bhagwant Mann said that his government has targeted bringing five lakh acres of land using the DSR technique during this Kharif season. Urging the farmers to make maximum use of this scheme, the Chief Minister said that this initiative aims to promote sustainable agriculture and conserve groundwater. CM Mann further said that he is immensely proud and satisfied that the state government is providing financial assistance worth Rs 1,500 per acre to farmers adopting DSR. He said that the state government has also allocated Rs 40 crore for this purpose in the financial year 2025-26, adding that farmers interested in the DSR scheme can register at the online portal agrimachinerypb.com from May 10 to June 30, 2025. CM said that this scheme will save 15-20% of the state's groundwater and reduce additional expenses on agriculture. Mann said that the DSR technique is a big boon for the state as it will help check the depletion of groundwater levels and reduce labour costs of approximately Rs 3,500 per acre. He said that the farmers should come forward and adopt this scheme and discharge their duty towards their motherland in a befitting manner. The Chief Minister said that the state government has always been sensitive to steering the farmers out of the prevailing agrarian crisis and saving the state's precious groundwater. He said that the state had played a key role in making the country self-reliant on food, but at the cost of overexploiting the state's only available natural resources, which are soil and water. However, Bhagwant Mann bemoaned that today's agriculture was no longer profitable as the farmers were facing an acute agrarian crisis due to ever-increasing farm inputs and non-remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP). (ANI)
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