Dhamtari : In a ground-breaking initiative, a district’s strategic shift from summer paddy cultivation to pulses and oilseeds has not only saved precious water resources but also resulted in a whopping 2,641 crore rupees in profit for farmers.
Parastarai village in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district, once grappling with severe water shortages, is now a beacon of agricultural transformation. Elders of the village recall a time when even after digging wells up to 200 feet, water was scarce, and the rising electricity costs for irrigation were unsustainable. Yet, despite these challenges, paddy cultivation remained their identity and livelihood – something that no one could imagine giving up.
Over the course of the year, a progressive initiative by the district administration helped shift the mindset of local farmers. They were encouraged to adopt less water-consuming crops, like pulses and oilseeds, instead of the water-intensive paddy. As a result, paddy cultivation in the district dropped by a remarkable 6,283 hectares, reducing water usage by an estimated 7,500 crore litres.
In total, 28,000 farmers from 265 villages attended educational camps, where experts, agricultural officials, and students from agriculture and livelihood colleges emphasized the importance of water conservation. These camps played a pivotal role in shifting the focus towards growing more water-efficient crops like gram, sunflower, mustard, linseed, and sesame.
What began as a small shift in Parastarai village soon gained momentum throughout Dhamtari district. Today, farmers in 494 out of the 653 villages have adopted pulses and oilseeds, moving away from paddy cultivation. This change has led to a remarkable profit of Rs 2,641 crore, with the additional benefit of improved groundwater levels. The shift to less water-intensive crops has significantly reduced electricity consumption, which has further decreased farmers’ costs, making agriculture more sustainable.
The environmental and economic benefits of this change are evident. While paddy cultivation requires 1.2 crore litres of water per hectare over 120 days, pulses and oilseeds use just 40 lakh litres over 80 days for the same area. The reduction in water usage has saved an estimated 7,500 crore litres of water, helping to replenish the region’s groundwater supply.
According to agricultural experts, this change in cropping patterns has resulted in a substantial reduction in electricity consumption. By shifting away from paddy, which requires extensive irrigation, about 151 crore units of electricity have been saved – a saving worth approximately 754 crores.
