Chhattisgarh to discourage summer paddy to save water

Chhattisgarh government has decided to discourage the cultivation of summer paddy to save water in the state that is also known as rice bowl of the country.

The move to discourage summer paddy cultivation is aimed at improving the ground water level, Chief Minister Raman Singh said. To save water, a special campaign has to be launched, he added.

Singh said that the state had plunged into severe water crises and special steps were needed to cope with the situation.

The decision was taken by the Chief Minister and the department would soon get the official letter in this connection before taking any initiative in this connection, a senior official with the department of agriculture told Business Standard.

From next year, the summer paddy cultivation would be discouraged, the official added.

The summer paddy cultivation in Rabi season 2009-10 had been disappointing; providing fertile ground for the state government to discourage its cultivation from next year. As against the target acreage of 1,20,000 hectares, sowing of paddy could be completed in just 82,000 hectares of area in this Rabi season.

The acreage of summer paddy this year had reduced by whopping 90,000 hectares in the state as compared to last year. Sources in the department said that as compared to last year's 1,70,000 hectares, summer paddy could be taken only in 82,000 hectares of area this year.

The rice production from the summer paddy would also severely hit. Officials said that the rice yield had been estimated at 2,88,000 tonnes this year while the yield in 2008-09 was 5,44,000 tonnes.