Ludhiana, June 30 -- Despite repeated advisories from agricultural scientists and the agriculture department, farmers in Ludhiana continue to grow water-intensive summer maize, raising fresh concerns over groundwater depletion.

Summer and spring maize have been cultivated on nearly 15,500 hectares this year, only marginally lower than the 16,000 hectares recorded last year, according to the district agriculture department. Officials said the decline was too small to indicate any significant shift in cultivation despite continuous awareness campaigns.

The trend comes even as the government promotes kharif maize as a water-saving alternative to paddy.

Unlike kharif maize, however, summer maize also requires heavy irrigation, undermining ...