Chandigarh, June 8- Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal has announced to implement 'Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana' before the paddy sowing season to adopt crop diversification and to save underground water for the future generations, while considering that each drop of water is precious. Following the same, the Chief Minister also took initiative to seek suggestions and feedbacks by directly interacting with the farmers of highest paddy growing districts.

During lockdown, after the Central Government has allowed the Chief Ministers and Ministers of the state to visit the districts, the Chief Minister interacted with the farmers of highest paddy cultivation areas of Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts. Further, the Chief Minister will interact and get feedback of the farmers of Ratia block of Fatehabad district and Sirsa block in Sirsa district on June 09, under 'Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana'. Apart from this the Chief Minister will also interact with the farmers of paddy rich blocks.

On the Chief Minister's initiative of saving water, the government is also formulating future policies on the basis of suggestions and feedback from the farmers, to improve the policies and further implement the same on the ground level to bring better results like saving water. In some blocks, groundwater table has gone down to 40-meters deep.

Showing his deep concern over decreasing groundwater table, the Chief Minister has come forward and started taking feedback from the farmers and appealed to every citizen to take a pledge to save water.

Under 'Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana' Pipli, Shahbad, Babain and Ismailabad blocks of Kurukshetra district, Siwan and Guhla blocks of Kaithal district, Ratia block in Fatehabad district and Sirsa block of Sirsa district have also been included. As the situation of declining water level is alarming, the farmers of these blocks have been encouraged to adopt crop diversification to save underground water.

If the farmers decide to grow alternative crops like maize, pulses, oilseeds and cotton instead of paddy, then financial assistance of Rs 7000 per acre along with other subsidies will be provided to the farmers.

On the initiative of the Chief Minister, farmers with 2 acres of land can sow paddy crop as before. An appeal has been made by the State Government to medium and large-scale farmers to sow alternate crops on 50 percent of their land over which they used to cultivate paddy. This is an attempt to save water for future generations so that there is enough water for the land that we pass on to our future generations.

The State Government had started the ‘Jal Hi Jeevan Yojana’ last year to save water and with the efforts of the Chief Minister, 'Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana' was prepared this year during lockdown, after a deliberation though video conferencing with senior officials of the departments of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Irrigation and Water Resources, Development and Panchayats, Revenue and Disaster Management and later it was also discussed with farmers, scientists, legislators and other people associated with the State Government.

The Chief Minister urged that all of us should have the same goal of saving water, consume less ground water and help improve its level. Everyone needs to think over this alarming situation. The State Government will implement any appropriate suggestions received in this regard and try to save every drop of water.