Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann officially announced a staggered paddy sowing schedule for the 2026 season on Wednesday, aimed at curbing the state’s rapidly depleting groundwater levels and optimizing the power grid. Under this strategic initiative, the state has been partitioned into four distinct zones to ensure that transplantation does not occur simultaneously across all districts. This phased approach is designed to prevent a massive, localized surge in electricity demand while also addressing the perennial issue of agricultural labour shortages by extending the overall transplantation window.
According to the government mandate, the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) method is permitted statewide starting May 15 and will continue until May 31. This technique is being heavily promoted as a water-saving alternative to traditional puddling. For those opting for traditional transplantation, the schedule begins on June 1 for Zone 2, which includes districts like Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Hoshiarpur. Zone 3, comprising areas such as Bathinda and Ferozepur, will commence on June 5, followed by Zone 4, covering the industrial and heartland belts of Ludhiana, Patiala, and Jalandhar, starting June 9.
To support the farming community during this transition, the Chief Minister guaranteed eight hours of uninterrupted daily power supply specifically for the agricultural sector. Additionally, canal water discharge is set to begin on May 1 to ensure sufficient irrigation for the early sowing phases. This logistical coordination is expected to streamline the eventual procurement process, as staggered sowing leads to staggered harvesting, thereby preventing the usual congestion and storage bottlenecks witnessed in state mandis during the peak season.
The Punjab government has emphasized that these measures are essential for the long-term sustainability of the state’s agriculture. By dividing the state into zones, the administration hopes to manage the load on power transformers more effectively and encourage farmers to move away from water-intensive traditional methods. The Chief Minister reiterated the urgent need for conservation, urging the peasantry to adopt DSR and other sustainable practices to protect the state’s natural resources for future generations.
