Sustainability of Groundwater Use in Punjab Agriculture: Issues and Options

Abstract

Punjab agriculture is a fitting example of intensive cultivation with the dominance of rice-wheat monoculture. The state of Punjab has one of the highest levels of cropping intensity, assured irrigation network and exhaustive input use. Intensive agriculture has led to the widening gap between the demand for groundwater and sustainable levels of its supply over time. The present paper outlines the trends in depletion of groundwater in Punjab, identifying the major factors governing the depletion and giving broader solutions for long-term sustainability. The groundwater table in central Punjab has fallen annually by about 17 cm and 25 cm during the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. The decline has been the sharpest during the last about one and a half decades, averaging at 91 cm per annum during 2000–2005 and about 75 cm during the last decade. The decline in average annual rainfall from 754.6 mm in 1990 to 365 mm in 2012 had an adverse impact. There are many drivers of the demand-supply mismatch for groundwater use in Punjab. The major reason for increase in groundwater over-exploitation is a sharp increase in the area under rice, as well as the cropping intensity. Another important reason for demand-supply mismatch is the provision of free or highly subsidized supply of power for agriculture. Even the recent climate variability, which is translating into an increased frequency of droughts in Punjab, is not helping the state favourably in terms of groundwater sustainability. The depletion of groundwater resources has adverse implications for crop profitability, especially for small and marginal farmers. It has also increased the burden of electricity subsidies and affects the output of other sectors of the economy. Promoting crop diversification and large-scale use of low-cost conservation technologies can help in achieving long-term groundwater sustainability in Punjab agriculture.