Despite a ban by the Punjab government, banned varieties of paddy like PUSA-44 are being openly sold on social media platforms, raising serious concerns about water conservation in the state.
Officials say farmers from Haryana are selling these water-hungry paddy saplings online, and these are then smuggled into Punjab for cultivation. Jaskaran Singh, a farmer from Nabha, revealed that these saplings are brought from Haryana villages and planted in Punjab districts such as Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Ludhiana, Mansa, and Moga.
PUSA-44 is known for its high yield but uses a lot of water, maturing in about 160 days. This variety consumes roughly 40% more water during peak summer due to high evaporation. Agricultural experts estimate it still covers around 15% of Punjab’s paddy area despite the ban.
Patiala’s Chief Agriculture Officer Jaswinder Singh claimed the situation is under control. He said the supply of hybrid seeds has been largely stopped, and only a small area might have PUSA-44 due to leftover seeds. He added that the sowing period for long-duration varieties like PUSA-44 is nearly over, as farmers usually plant by mid-June.
However, officials admit that advancing the paddy sowing window to encourage earlier harvests has backfired. It unintentionally increased demand for long-duration, water-intensive varieties like PUSA-44, which goes against the goal of saving water.
Experts, including former Punjab Agricultural University vice-chancellors, had earlier warned that moving sowing dates earlier might encourage farmers to grow these water-heavy crops.
As of June 24, paddy had been planted on 15.24 lakh hectares in Punjab—more than double the area sown at the same time last year.
In response, the Agriculture Department has asked field officers to report district-wise where long-duration paddy varieties might be grown. The state’s water table continues to decline, with environmentalists worried as producing just 1 kg of rice needs over 3,300 litres of water.
This ongoing sale of banned paddy varieties on social media highlights the challenge Punjab faces in protecting its precious water resources.
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