Sangrur Paddy Transplanting Women Workers

Paddy transplanting in Sangrur's fields is carried out by migrant women workers from Bihar and eastern UP who wade knee-deep in flooded fields during June and July, transplanting rice seedlings in rows at precise spacing of 20 by 15 centimetres. The work, locally called ropayi, pays a piece-rate per area transplanted and is one of Punjab agriculture's most physically demanding seasonal tasks. Sangrur's paddy transplanting season draws 200,000 to 300,000 migrant workers to Punjab each year, creating a significant seasonal labour migration corridor between the Gangetic plains and the Punjab rice belt.