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Abstract
A linear programming model has been formulated to suggest the optimal cropping pattern for
maximising net returns and ensuring significant savings of groundwater with the aim of sustaining
groundwater use in the Punjab agriculture. The dominance of paddy-wheat crop rotation has led to overexploitation
of ground water resulting in rapid decline of water table in the entire state. The existing
ground water draft for irrigation is 3.41 m ha m whereas the annual ground water availability is 2.03 m ha
m, indicating a deficit of 1.38 m ha m of groundwater resources – a case of severe water imbalance in
state. Diversifying agriculture towards less water consuming crops and use of resource conservation
technologies is of utmost importance. The present study attempts to suggest a diversification plan for
achieving water sustainability. The results revealed that a shift of area under maize and basmati in plan –I,
resulted into a significant water saving of 8 per cent. The water saving amounted to 16.16 per cent when
new crop activities, like paddy sown directly in the fields, i.e. resource conservation practices (DSR)
technology and paddy sown by conventional method but irrigation scheduled by the use of tensiometer
were introduced without any adverse impact on productivity.