Punjab with a land area of 19,4451 sq mi represents only 1.57% of India’s total geographical area. Having acquired its name from the five rivers that crisscross its geography, namely, Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab, and Jhelum, Punjab has acted as the food bowl of the country for decades. It contributes 27–40% rice, 55–65% wheat, and 18–25% cotton to the country’s pool2. This contribution comes at the cost of exploiting the groundwater resources of the state and its depletion. A satellite-based study in 20093 showed that 109 km3 of groundwater had been lost between 2002- 08 in the adjoining states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

1. To,
Shri Bhagwant Mann
Chief Minister of the State of Punjab
India
Brief on
Challenge of Water Resources Scarcity and Degradation in Punjab
Prepared by:
Aaditya Tiwari (at3537)
MPA in Development Practice
School of International and Public Affairs
Columbia University

2. 1 | a t 3 5 3 7
Punjab with a land area of 19,4451
sq mi represents only 1.57% of India’s total geographical area.
Having acquired its name from the five rivers that crisscross its geography, namely, Sutlej, Beas,
Ravi, Chenab, and Jhelum, Punjab has acted as the food bowl of the country for decades. It
contributes 27–40% rice, 55–65% wheat, and 18–25% cotton to the country’s pool2
. This
contribution comes at the cost of exploiting the groundwater resources of the state and its depletion.
A satellite-based study in 20093
showed that 109 km3
of groundwater had been lost between 2002-
08 in the adjoining states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
(Source: Managing Water Under Uncertainty and Risk
The United Nations World Water Development Report 4 Volume 1)
This wasn’t the first warning, Washington D.C. based WorldWatch Institute in its ‘State of the
World Report’, 1998 had predicted that the difference between water usage in Punjab and the yield
of the aquifer is so high that it could be depleted by 20254
. Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti,
the nodal ministry of the Government of India for managing water resources, in a reply on the
floor of Parliament in 2023 mentioned that 78% of the administrative blocks in Punjab are
overexploited due to various reasons5
. This has pushed the state as well as the country into a grave
threat of food insecurity. The reasons for the declining water table include:

3. 2 | a t 3 5 3 7
1. Paddy-Wheat Monoculture: The net sown area of Punjab is 82%. Due to the assured
procurement of rice and wheat at the minimum support price (MSP), farmers don’t have
the incentive to shift from these crops. The area under paddy rose from 4,567.59 sq mi in
1980-81 to 12,131.33 sq mi in 2019-20. The area under wheat grew from 10,857.19 sq mi
in 1980-81 to 13,594.66 sq mi in 2019-20. There is a secular decline in the area cultivated
under sugarcane, maize, and cotton. At the same time, consumption of chemical (Nitrogen,
Phosphorus, and Potassium) fertilizers in Punjab increased from 764 nutrient tonnes in
1980-81 to 1,896 nutrient tonnes in 2019-206
causing groundwater contamination.
2. Over-reliance on groundwater for irrigation: While the area under irrigation has
increased, there has been a decline in the irrigated area using canals and an increase in the
irrigated area using groundwater. From 5,521.26 sq mi in 1980-81, the area under irrigation
using canals has declined to 4,556 sq mi in 2019-20. Whereas, at the same time the area
under irrigation using tube wells has increased from 7,486.52 sq mi to 11,173.79 sq mi7
.
3. Access to free/subsidized power: This caused an increase in the number of tube wells
from 50,000 in the ’60s to 1.45 million today and can be attributed to the depletion of
groundwater8
.
(Source: Kishore, Avinash, Claudia Ringler, and Neil Palmer. 2022. “When the remedy
is worse than the disease: Agricultural policy in Punjab, India.” CGIAR.
https://www.cgiar.org/news-events/news/agricultural-policy-in-punjab-india/)
4. Urbanization: Agronomist Dr. SS Johl points out that there has been a steady increase in
urbanization in Punjab which has caused a decline in groundwater recharge9
.

4. 3 | a t 3 5 3 7
(Source: Ground Water Year Book Punjab and Chandigarh (UT) 2020-202, Central Ground
Water Board, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India)
Agenda 2030: Strategy for Punjab to Overcome the Challenge of Water Scarcity and
Degradation
Dr. Jonas Jagermeyer of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies writes “The
transformation of global farming into sustainable forms is unattainable without a revolution in
agricultural water use, water saving and food production potentials.”10
Punjab is at a critical
juncture where the initiatives taken now will decide the future trajectory. This would need a
concerted effort on the part of civil society, civil service, and political leaders under the guidance
of scientific institutions to make informed choices. Like its five rivers, Punjab’s strategy has five
important components:
1. Crop Diversification Program: Access to free electricity and guaranteed minimum
support price for the rice and wheat crops have caused groundwater depletion in Punjab11
.
The state has to shift from this vicious cycle and diversify its crops. Taking a leaf out of
the neighbouring Haryana state’s ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat’12
(My Water My Culture)
scheme, Punjab too can implement a few successful practices like-

5. 4 | a t 3 5 3 7
a. The cultivation of paddy will be prohibited in villages where the water level is 35
meters or above.
b. Provided that farmers in the specified blocks choose to assign over 50% of their
paddy cultivation land to diversification, they will have the privilege of vending all
their diversified crops to the government at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
c. Substituting paddy with maize, cotton, bajra, or pulses in specific administrative
blocks that have inadequate groundwater.
d. Using upgraded varieties of rice that consume less water.
(Source: SABRAO Journal of Breeding and Genetics 45 (1) 112-131, 2013)
2. Mapping Water Sources and Groundwater Recharge:
a. The Government of Punjab may sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the
Indian Space Research Organization’s ‘Bhuvan Bhujal Portal’13
and prepare a
water source map like the indiawatertool.in for efficient monitoring.
b. Draft a state-wide scheme on the lines of ‘Atal Bhujal Yojna’14
(Atal Groundwater
Scheme), prepare block-level ‘Water Security Plans’, and plan interventions.
c. Punjab has identified 1,956 sites under Mission Amrit Sarovar15
to rejuvenate lakes
and ponds, 619 sites have been completed, work needs to be expedited in the
remaining 1,160 sites and the scope increased to construct more sites.
d. Punjab has a huge network of canals, it can use the model from Gujarat by setting
up solar panels over the canals to save water from evaporation and produce
electricity as well16
.

6. 5 | a t 3 5 3 7
e. The forest cover of Punjab is merely 3.67%17
, it should be ideally 33% of the total
land area. Improving the forest cover will improve the water cycle by regulating
precipitation18
.
f. Explore the use of gray water for industrial purposes.
3. Innovation in Agricultural Practices:
a. Drip Irrigation: This is an effective technique for irrigating plants because it
delivers water directly to the roots of the plants, minimizing water loss caused by
evaporation and runoff.
b. No-till farming: In this method crops are grown without disturbing the soil by
plowing it. This improves water retention and preserves the soil ecosystem.
c. Mulching: Covering the soil around plants with a layer of organic or inorganic
material, conserves soil moisture and improves soil health.
d. Agroforestry: This prevents run-off wastage and conserves soil.
4. Enabling Legislative Framework:
a. Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act, 2009 was brought in the state to alleviate
the crisis of the declining water table. It mandated that no farmer shall sow paddy
before May 10 or transplant paddy before June 1019
. The intention behind the act
was to delay rice plantation so that less water is used to harvest the crop. Although
an unintended consequence of this reform has been the air pollution in Delhi due to
stubble burning, the Government will have to amend the law and find alternative
ways like the use of bio-decomposers20
.
b. Reform the Agricultural Produce Markets Act: It is crucial to initiate a reform
aimed at breaking the nexus between the Commission Agent and the Food
Corporation of India, as it can facilitate the transition of farmers from wheat-paddy
farming to other more lucrative, less water-intensive crops21
.
c. Strict implementation of ‘Punjab Groundwater Extraction and Conservation
Directions, 2023’ for unauthorized extraction of groundwater22
.
5. Enabling Socio-Political Environment:
a. Use all available channels of communication to sensitize stakeholders about the
grave situation of the state.

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b. There is inertia among the farming community to adapt and change, a continuous
and patient conversation to create stakeholders will help expedite reforms.
c. The Government of Punjab has to link all reforms with the improved income of the
farmers.
d. The Government can create a ‘Sustainable Development Fund’ to engage citizens
as well as the global diaspora to voluntarily donate.
On 15th August 2019, Punjab had just 49% of its households with tap water connections, which
has now increased to 100% coverage. Punjab has demonstrated its will to act in the past, and given
the right policy push and concerted effort it will overcome the challenge of water scarcity and
degradation as well.
References:
1. “Know Punjab Government of Punjab, India.” n.d. Punjab government. Accessed March
23, 2023. https://punjab.gov.in/know-punjab/.
2. S Baweja, R Aggarwal, M Brar, R Lal - Encyclopedia of soil science, 2017. “Groundwater
Depletion in Punjab, India.” ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rajan-
Aggarwal/publication/318588145_Groundwater_Depletion_in_Punjab_India/links/5b59e
a11aca272a2d66cb15f/Groundwater-Depletion-in-Punjab-India.pdf.
3. Rodell, M., Velicogna, I. & Famiglietti, J. Satellite-based estimates of groundwater
depletion in India. Nature 460, 999–1002 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08238

8. 7 | a t 3 5 3 7
4. Brown Lester R and Worldwatch Institute. 1998. State of the World 1998: A Worldwatch
Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society (version 1st ed). 1st ed. New
York: Norton. https://archive.org/details/stateofworld19980000unse_e0s3.
5. “Groundwater in 78% blocks 'overexploited' in Punjab.” 2022. Tribune India.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/groundwater-in-78-blocks-overexploited-
367647.
6. “2020 Statistical Abstract of Punjab.” n.d. Punjab Legislative Assembly. Accessed March
23, 2023. https://punjabassembly.nic.in/images/docs/Statistical%20Abstract.pdf.
7. Ibid.
8. “GROUND WATER RESOURCES OF PUNJAB STATE.” 2022. https://pwrda.org/wp-
content/uploads/2023/02/GROUND-WATER-RESOURCES-OF-PUNJAB-STATE-
2022.pdf.
9. “Save Punjab from desertification, move paddy-wheat to UP, Bihar, Bengal—agronomist
S S Johl.” 2021. ThePrint. https://theprint.in/india/governance/save-punjab-from-
desertification-move-paddy-wheat-to-up-bihar-bengal-agronomist-ss-johl/587379/.
10. Jägermeyr, Jonas. 2020. “Agriculture's Historic Twin-Challenge Toward Sustainable
Water Use and Food Supply for All.” Frontiers.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00035/full.
11. Chhatre, A., Devalkar, S. & Seshadri, S. Crop diversification and risk management in
Indian agriculture. Decision 43, 167–179 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40622-016-
0129-1
12. “'Mera Pani Meri Virasat' scheme for crop diversification in Haryana Water use efficiency
in agriculture is one of the import.” n.d. Ministry of Jal Shakti. Accessed March 24, 2023.
https://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/BP_Govt_MeraPani.pdf.
13. “Bhuvan Bhujal Portal – Ground Water Prospects Information System.” 2015. GIS
Resources. https://gisresources.com/bhuvan-bhujal-portal-ground-water-prospects-
information-system/.
14. “Atal Bhujal Yojna.” 2023. Press Information Bureau.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1898805.
15. “Mission Amrit Sarovar.” 2022. Press Information Bureau.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1885211.

9. 8 | a t 3 5 3 7
16. Jena, Manipadma. 2015. “India builds solar plants atop canals to save land, water.” Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/article/india-solar/india-builds-solar-plants-atop-canals-to-save-
land-water-idINKBN0KP0ZO20150116.
17. Kamal, Neel. 2022. “Punjab’s Green Cover Down To Mere 3.67% | Chandigarh News.”
Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjabs-green-cover-
down-to-mere-3-67/articleshow/88886833.cms.
18. Lyons, Katie, and Todd Gartner. 2017. “3 Surprising Ways Water Depends on Healthy
Forests.” World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/3-surprising-ways-
water-depends-healthy-forests.
19. Dabas, Harsh. 2022. “Falling Groundwater Table and Rising Pollution; The Twisted Tale
of The Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act, 2009.” Live Law.
https://www.livelaw.in/columns/falling-groundwater-table-and-rising-pollution-green-
revolution-punjab-preservation-of-subsoil-water-act-212623.
20. “Bio-Decomposer Technology for Stubble Burning.” 2022. Press Information Bureau.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1814544.
21. Singh, Sukhpal. 2020. “Reforming Agricultural Markets in Punjab in the Federal Context
for Post-COVID-19 Recovery.” Punjabi University, Patiala.
http://punjabiuniversity.ac.in/pages/Images/cdeis/5%20sukhpal%20singh.pdf.
22. Kala, Chhabi. 2023. “Punjab to levy groundwater extraction charges on non-exempted
users from February 1.” India Today. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/punjab-to-
levy-groundwater-charges-on-non-exempted-users-from-february-1-2327659-2023-01-
29.