BATHINDA
Once producing nearly 70% of India’s kinnow crop, orchardists in Punjab’s Fazilka district are staring at a dark future for the citrus fruit ahead of the upcoming season starting next month when the flowering will start.
A sharp increase in saline groundwater levels over the past year has posed a serious threat to decades-old agricultural diversification, with farmers in the semi-arid Abohar belt now exploring options to switch to paddy cultivation and other crops. Heavy rains that hit the semi-arid zone of south Malwa in August last year worsened the situation, causing subsurface saline water levels to rise from 10-11 feet to as little as 3 feet in several villages. Many orchards, sensitive to waterlogging and saline water, were submerged, severely affecting fruit production.
Vijay Kumar, a veteran kinnow grower from Diwan Khera village, said hundreds of acres along the Abohar-Sri Ganganagar road have suffered severe damage. “I had to uproot three acres last year, and other farmers have uprooted nearly 500 acres in Diwan Khera. The water level is close to the surface, and distressed farmers are worried about the future. Several are planning to switch to paddy cultivation as they have no resources left to invest in kinnow farming,” he said.
Farmers blamed poor maintenance of drainage systems built to remove saline water from fields.
Sukhmandar Singh, a progressive farmer from Jhurar Khera village, said the rise in the groundwater table is damaging orchards at an alarming rate. “Until 3-4 years ago, kinnow cultivation was practiced in nearly 100 villages in the Abohar area. In the last two seasons, good fruit production has been limited to nearly 25 villages. The Punjab government needs to focus on this alarming situation gripping the kinnow belt,” he said.
Officials noted that a higher water table could restrict the cultivation of other crops as well and stressed that the state government should formulate a strategy to protect the kinnow belt from becoming barren.
Navdeep Singh, an orchardist from Danewala Satkosi, said groundwater is now commonly found 2-5 feet below the surface. “Braving the natural challenge of saline groundwater, farmers adopted horticultural crops like kinnow and peach. We were able to make the area a hub of horticulture after decades of effort, but orchardists now have no support from the state government,” he added.
State awardee kinnow producer Arvind Setia said that while several orchards remain tall and green, scores are unlikely to bear fruit due to worsening groundwater conditions. “Wholesale farmgate rates of kinnow remained comparatively high at up to ₹29 per kg because there were fewer good-quality fruits this season. The next season is set to be more challenging as groundwater continues flooding several villages,” he said.