Adopt ground water conservation schemes-DC to farmers
Deputy Commissioner Patiala Kumar Amit raised concern over the depleting water table and appealed farmers of the district to adopt ground water conservation scheme that the Soil conservation department of the state government runs. He added that in the year 2017-18 total 1193 hectares of land has been brought under different schemes of the department.
DC added that to treat the sewage water, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board has installed sewage treatment plants (STP) at Samana and Patran earlier, here the treated water is released for irrigation. The Soil conservation department Patiala utilizes this treated water by laying underground irrigation water pipes.
Kumar added that under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) scheme the department has laid underground pipes from canal siphon point covering around 514 hectares of land. Under this scheme, works were done in villages of Harpalpur, Dharamgarh, Bakshiwala, Bhootgarh, Tarkheri, Jai Nagar etc.
Besides this the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) too had laid similar underground water pipes irrigating around 599 hectares of land at Rs 75.32 lacs. Under this scheme, the areas of Hariau, Dharamheri, Hasanpur, Namadan, Bishanpur, Bhanra, Tohra etc have been covered.
DC added that efforts were being made to especially conserve water in the dark zone (areas suffering from acute ground water depletion). In these dark zone blocks, the Soil conservation department have installed solar pumps in village ponds wherein using lift irrigation method and underground pipes around 80 hectares of land is being irrigated. The scheme s currently being run at villages Nanansu, tarkheri, Bhanri, Karanpur, Bibipur and Jhandi.
Kumar stated that those farmers who want to reduce input cost by conserving water, they can approach the Soil conservation office in zila parishad complex on Sirhind Road.
Patiala Divisional Soil conservation officer Jasvir Singh that the department helps farmers get loan on subsidy from NABARD as well as gives technical know how for the same.
