Chandigarh, Jul 31 (PTI) Faced with poor monsoon and power shortage, farmers in Punjab and Haryana are spending an additional Rs 1500-2000 per hectare on irrigation to protect the paddy crop, an official said today. The two granary states are facing 70 per cent deficiency in rainfall in the ongoing kharif season, Meteorological Department Director Surinder Pal said. The problem has been aggravated due to power shortage as the two states are facing a demand-supply gap of 250-300 lakh units per day. On top of it, the Bhakra water supply for two states has come down due to deficient monsoon. "In the wake of poor rain, farmers are spending an extra sum of Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per hectare on paddy crop for irrigation, particularly, in the wake of poor rain and severe power shortage in both states", a senior official of Punjab Agriculture department said. As a result of the additional expenditure on irrigation, farmers in Punjab and Haryana have managed to get near to the target for paddy sowing. Paddy sowing in Punjab is almost on the verge of completion with 98 per cent of targeted area covered. Against a target of sowing paddy in 27.80 lakh hectares, the state has planted the crop in 27.34 lakh hectares so far. In Haryana, the area under paddy crop has touched 9.87 lakh hectares, though it is lower than 11.15 lakh hectares achieved during the corresponding period of last year. Haryana is eyeing 12 lakh hectares under paddy this season. Rice grown in Punjab and Haryana account for over 35 per cent of the central pool. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has said his government was making all efforts to procure power for agriculture sector even at exorbitant rates.
