In an effort to promote crop diversification, the CM Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government will provide assistance to farmers in the state. The government also aims to conserve water by facilitating crop diversification measures to be taken by farmers. Under the “Mera Pani Meri Virasat” scheme, the government plans to conserve 42,480 crore litres of water in the year 2023-24. It is notable that the scheme was launched in the year 2020.
The Haryana government is providing Rs 7000 to farmers growing alternate crops which require less water to grow. Such crops include pulses, maize, oilseeds, and fodder crops. In 2020, more than 41,000 farmers in the state have benefited from this scheme. The state government then provided farmers with incentives totalling more than Rs 45 crore. With the state government’s efforts, Haryana conserved around 22,000 crore litres of water.
This time, the government intends to diversify crops on 1.2 lakh acres of land in the state. Notably, the ‘Mera Paani Meri Virasat’ initiative, has a budget of around Rs 84 crore. It is worth noting that the groundwater level of agricultural land in Haryana and Punjab is constantly declining due to over-cultivation of crops such as paddy. This issue is also present in western Uttar Pradesh. To address this, the Haryana government has planned to diversify crop production.
According to the government, farmers in Haryana are also growing direct-seeded rice (DSR) which also requires less water. It is worth noting that DSR is a method of growing a rice crop from seeds sowed in the field instead of transplanting seedlings from a nursery.
According to a report, the condition of groundwater in 60% of Haryana’s villages is serious. On an annual basis, more water is consumed for irrigation than is refilled in the ground by rain. This could lead to a major water crisis in the future. This will have a significant influence not only on agriculture but also on employment opportunities. Reportedly, groundwater has been withdrawn in excess of what is required from 61% of Haryana’s water sources. The state administration is now relying on these schemes to combat all of the abovementioned challenges.