'Stay Punjab's June 13 paddy transplant date'

JALANDHAR: The June 4 notification of Punjab government advancing the official date of paddy transplantation in the state from June 20 to June 13, following its announcement during the Lok Sabha poll campaign, has been challenged before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The petition, filed on Wednesday by a social activist, has argued that this could worsen the groundwater depletion in Punjab which is staring at the threat of desertification in 20 years if the over exploitation of the scarce water is not arrested.
The June 4 notification has been issued by the Punjab agriculture department, which has been running a campaign to make the farmers aware of the precarious state of sub soil water in Punjab. As part of its campaign, the department had also distributed pamphlets among farmers informing them that putting off the paddy transplantation date to June 20 in 2018 had resulted in 20cm less depletion of the water table, which has been going down by half a metre every season.
The petition filed by social activist Jai Gopal Dhiman through his counsel Cauveri Birbal has also urged the NGT to stay the operation of notification and issue directions for supply of water for transplantation only from June 20. The petitioner has asked the NGT to call for the records on the basis of which the notification has been issued.
The petition has pointed out that if the notification is not stayed, it would lead to a loss of 4.8 lakh million litres of water per day, something which Punjab can ill afford at this time.