LAHORE: A new trend of having two rice crops in a season is taking roots in Punjab, sending a wave of concern among the irrigation authorities and environmentalists in view of increasing water scarcity in the country.

Some farmers have begun planting coarse rice varieties soon after fields are free from wheat in April in Pakpattan, Khanewal and Gujranwala districts. These varieties mature in 90 days and are ready for harvesting in June. Then they plant Basmati during the normal rice season, July to October. Though the milling quality of the crop reaped in June is poor, the growers are managing to earn some additional bucks.

However, this trend is further stressing the water availability situation in the province because during the months of May and June, when temperature goes above 45 degrees Celsius, the already water-intensive crop demands more water whereas the availability of water in irrigation canals is generally low between March and May. This water shortage is then met by pumping out subsoil water.

In the normal season, paddy crop requires 40 acre-inches of water. And one-acre inch means around 102,790 litres. In a hot and dry environment, this requirement goes up further.

Hamid Malik, an expert in the sector, estimates that 42,000 litres of water is needed to produce one kilo of rice in this season.

Though this two-rice crop trend is not widespread and is presently covering around one per cent of land as per estimates of Dr Abdul Qayyum, the Punjab Crop Reporting Service director, authorities and environmentalists fear if the trend grows further it may deplete fast the subsoil water table.

They suggest that the government should enact a law to allow one rice crop in a season and growing paddy in the original period – July to October – taking a cue from the neighbouring India where rice plantation period has been restricted through legislation.

A progressive farmer from Pakpattan, Aamer Hayat Bhandara, advocates for cutting acreage of water-intensive crops instead of increasing the same. He argues that the country is in fact exporting the much-needed water in the form of rice and sugar.

Over the past 30 years, Pakistan has gone from a country enjoying an abundance of water to one facing increasing water stress. Between 1990 and 2015, the amount of water available per person dropped from just over 2,170 cubic metres to about 1,300 cubic metres, according to a 2017 report by the United Nations Development Programme.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2021