Canal water supply for paddy sowing in Punjab from May 1: Mann

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said canal water for paddy sowing will be released from May 1, with 21,000 cusecs set to be released across the state. Mann, who called the availability of canal water as a "decisive shift away from Punjab's heavy reliance on groundwater", said the state govt had invested Rs 6,700 crore in irrigation infrastructure, cleaning up a 14,000-km pipeline network and laying 7,000 watercourses and channels. "We will ensure irrigation for paddy, and also secure water for sowing cotton and maize, horticulture purposes, and producing fodder in Malwa. We have delivered tangible gains in groundwater recharge, with levels rising by 2-4 metres," added Mann.Taking to X, Mann said state govt's primary objective was to reduce the use of groundwater and ensure canal water reached every field. "Even tail-end regions like Fazilka and Abohar will receive water by May 2. Along with this, to save electricity and ensure convenience for labourers, paddy sowing has been divided into four zones. Direct seeding will begin from May 15, and from June 1, canal water supply will be provided in a phased manner," he said.Mann said rhe water being released was equal to the supply of two Bhakra canals. "It will particularly help farmers in the Malwa region for orchards and for sowing crops such as cotton, maize and fodder, along with preparing fields for paddy cultivation," he added.‘DSR from May 15' CM Bhagwant Mann said direct seeding of rice (DSR) — a water-saving method in which there is no transplantation of paddy — will begin from May 15 in all districts, with eight hours of uninterrupted power supply. "From June 1, paddy cultivation will begin in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ropar, Mohali, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib and Hoshiarpur. From June 5, cultivation will start in Faridkot, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Fazilka, and from June 9 it will begin in Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Mansa, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Kapurthala, Jalandhar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar," he said.
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