Chandigarh, April 7 -- As the paddy sowing timeline has been pushed to June 1 this Kharif season, from mid or late June in previous years, experts have warned that it could prove to be 'extremely detrimental' to the groundwater table.

According to the data available, the groundwater table is already depleting at a steep pace (over a metre every year).

Though an official notification has not been issued so far, chief minister Bhagwant Mann's recent announcements at public forums give credence to the early sowing. He has assured farmers that the state's canals have enough water for irrigation.

The Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act, enacted in 2009, mandates late sowing of paddy.

According to BS Dhillon, former vice-chancellor of ...