Water woes

Crop diversification needs a bigger push

Haryana’s decision to incentivise diversion of cropland from water-guzzling paddy to less water-consuming crops like maize, pulses and others is a welcome step towards mitigating the high-water footprint of its agriculture. Widespread rice cultivation is deemed the chief cause of rapid decline in groundwater in nearly 75 per cent of the state. Paddy, especially non-Basmati paddy, has not been the traditional crop of this inherently water-stressed state. It was introduced chiefly to meet the needs of the other food-deficit regions, most of which are now growing enough rice on their own. Haryana, therefore, need not expend its scarce water on