HYDERABAD, April 29 Paddy cultivation has been banned in Jamshoro district on the directives of Matiari DCO Dr Baqaullah Unnar with agriculture officials asked to guide farmers to alternate crops.

He forbade the authorities to implement the ban strictly and asked those who already had, to destroy it voluntarily. The instructions were issued during a meeting constituted to monitor paddy cultivation ban as its cultivation had destroyed fertile land.

“The main reason of discouraging paddy cultivation was to protect fertile land from water-logging and salinity”, Unnar said while warning action against those erring the orders with imposition of heavy abiyana (water tax) on farmers.

Earlier presiding over a meeting on the availability of urea fertilizer for Kharif crops, the DCO asked the concerned authorities to ensure its supply along with forging better relationship with the stakeholders.