Paddy cultivation in Punjab is unsustainable because it consumes excessive groundwater through tube-well irrigation. Continuous extraction has caused the water table to decline by more than a metre annually, depleting natural reserves. Such overuse threatens future water availability and weakens the long-term sustainability of agriculture.
Read the given text and answer the following questions: Punjab, known as the “Granary of India”, has witnessed rapid groundwater depletion over the past three decades. The expansion of tube – well irrigation during the Green Revolution led to a significant increase in the area under paddy cultivation, a water – intensive crop. Continuous withdrawal of groundwater has caused the water table to drop by more than 1 metre annually in several districts. This decline threatens long – term agricultural productivity, increases pumping costs and can lead to deterioration of water quality due to the intrusion of deeper saline water layers. Experts warn that if current extraction rates continue, Punjab could face acute water scarcity, impacting food security and livelihoods. (i) Why is paddy cultivation in Punjab considered unsustainable from a water resource management perspective? (ii) Explain how the overuse of groundwater in Punjab could affect both the economy and the environment of the state. (iii) Suggest one cropping pattern change that could help conserve water in Punjab.
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(i) Paddy cultivation in Punjab is unsustainable because it consumes excessive groundwater through tube-well irrigation. Continuous extraction has caused the water table to decline by more than a metre annually, depleting natural reserves. Such overuse threatens future water availability and weakens the long-term sustainability of agriculture.
(ii) Overuse of groundwater in Punjab has severe economic and environmental consequences. As water levels drop, farmers must dig deeper wells and spend more on electricity and diesel to pump water, raising agricultural costs and reducing profit margins. Environmentally, excessive extraction leads to soil degradation, declining fertility and intrusion of saline water into aquifers, contaminating freshwater sources. These factors threaten agricultural productivity, rural livelihoods and food security. Overexploitation of groundwater also weakens Punjab’s ecological balance, leading to long-term environmental stress and reduced sustainability of its agrarian economy.
(iii) Punjab can conserve water by shifting from water-intensive paddy to less water-demanding crops like maize, pulses or oilseeds. Maize uses much less water and provides stable returns. Promoting crop diversification, drip irrigation and government incentives for non-paddy crops can reduce groundwater depletion, improve soil health and ensure long-term agricultural sustainability, helping the state overcome its growing water crisis effectively.