category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU Chandigarh In order to arrest the depleting groundwater level to save the state, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan, on Sunday, urged the people of the state especially the farmers to use the groundwater judiciously. Due to over exploitation of the groundwater in the state, the Speaker said, the water table is swiftly depleting and more than 78 per cent of our 150 blocks are in extreme dark zone. Expressing concern over the rapidly depleting groundwater level, the speaker said that it is the need of the hour that farmers should shun the traditional paddy cultivation by adopting advanced techniques such as DSR (direct sowing of rice). Punjab is contributing a lot to the country s food bowl. By using the groundwater to the maximum, the state has produced wheat and paddy crop, which resulted in depleting the groundwater table to the drastic level, which is a matter of serious concern, said the Speaker, adding that with a view to promote crop diversification, the state government has taken a unique initiative to encourage farmers to adopt Direct Sowing of Rice (DSR) technique. The government is providing financial assistance of Rs.1500 per acre for direct sowing of rice to the farmers so as to ensure that farmers can shun the traditional methods for paddy cultivation and contribute in saving the groundwater. Urging the farmers to adopt DSR technique, the Speaker said that farmers should adopt crop diversification and produce alternative crops such as moong, maize, pulses and millet. He said that as per the reports of Geo-Sciences, water in Punjab may go down to dangerous levels by 2039. In order to save underground water, I appeal to the farmers of Punjab to make maximum use of Canal water for irrigation purposes and use groundwater in extremely necessary situations, he added. S. Sandhwan also appealed to the people that being a responsible citizen, they should judiciously use the water at their homes and leakage of taps should be fixed to prevent the wastage of water. (editor dailyworld.in)