The Punjab Government in collaboration with the World Bank is encouraging drip irrigation in the province under on-going Punjab Irrigated-Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project (PIPIP) to overcome scarcity of water.
Under this project, the provincial agriculture department is installing drip & sprinkler irrigation on subsidy basis in the fields of farmers. Drip irrigation system is suitable for crop cultivation when irrigation water or rainwater is not enough for conventional farming. This technology, so far, has been adopted by many farmers across Punjab owing to acute shortage of river water and limited rains.
A spokesman of the department disclosed here on Friday that keeping in view its high efficiency in conserving water, increasing per acre yield and reducing cost of cultivation, there is a need to create awareness among farmers about the drip irrigation system. With this technology, the farmers can save 60 percent electricity and diesel costs augmenting per acre yield by 100 percent.
The Government is helping farmers adopt this system by providing drip irrigation equipment at subsidized rates and providing 60 percent subsidy on installation of Drip irrigation system. There is 40 percent to 50 percent saving of fertilizer if drip irrigation system is used. Currently, the system is used for small scale cultivation e.g., 12.5 acre of land.
However, other techniques and methods are underway to extend the program for large scale cultivation. Drip irrigation technology is being provided to farmers by government on subsidized cost with financial assistance from the World Bank.
Spokesman further said that it is need of time to move towards modern resource conservation technologies such as drip irrigation to cope with the situation of water scarcity in upcoming years.
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