With Haryana and Punjab battling problem of depleting groundwater, Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat Monday called upon the farmers to adopt natural farming. Advertising While addressing a conference on water management in Mohali, the Governor said he uses 70-80 per cent less water compared to other farmers for agriculture purpose at his Kurukshetra Gurukul, adding that the natural farming method used there has its own water harvesting system. Acharya Devvrat spoke about results of ‘Zero Budget Natural Farming’ model of agriculture being used at his Gurukul spread in 175 acres in Kurukshetra where “no pesticides or chemical fertilizers like DAP or Urea are used”. “The scientists of agriculture universities in Hisar and Ludhiana have said that the water level is depleting by four feet every year. Why is it happening? Biggest reason for this is misuse of water by prevalent way of agriculture,” said the Governor while inaugurating first ‘International Conference on Sustainable Water Management’. The conference was organised by Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) under the aegis of National Hydrology Project of Ministry of Water Resources. Advertising In 2017, the Governor had announced launch of a campaign to link “deshi cows” with agriculture so that farmers can adopt home-made fertilizers, which are produced using cow dung and cow urine apart from other items, to improve soil fertility and farmers’ economic condition. On Monday, he said, “The entire problem started with the increasing use of pesticides in the name of Green Revolution in India. I am a farmer. In the Gurukul land, we have opted natural way of agriculture. If this system can successful there, why can’t it work elsewhere. With the help of a `deshi cow’, I undertake agriculture in 30 acres. This year, the paddy production in Punjab and Haryana was in the range of 22-28 quintal per acre but we produced 32 quintal paddy per acre (in Gurukul).” Secretary of Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Upendra Prasad Singh said that 80 per cent of the blocks in Punjab are categorised as over-exploited in terms of use of groundwater. “How long can it (groundwater) sustain? It will not…. we are about to finish some of the groundwater in Punjab and Haryana. It’s matter of serious concern,” he said. DK Sharma, Chairman, BBMB delivered the inaugural speech at the conference. He also gave a detailed presentation on water-related issues & also about BBMB in plenary session.

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