Punjab groundwater depletion deepens regional economic divide, study says

Punjab’s groundwater crisis is widening social and economic divisions, according to a study cited by The Hindu. The state has the highest proportion of over-exploited groundwater blocks among all Indian states, at 76.47%. The study links the pressure on aquifers to Punjab’s heavy reliance on groundwater for cultivating water-intensive crops, including wheat and rice.

Continued extraction forces wells to reach greater depths, increasing the cost of accessing water. The consequences identified in the report extend beyond higher pumping costs. The study says groundwater depletion is contributing to land subsidence and deteriorating water quality, although the supplied material does not quantify either effect.

The report characterises the crisis as a social and economic divide, but does not provide details of which communities or income groups are most affected. It also does not state the number of groundwater blocks assessed, the period covered by the study or the methods used to calculate the 76.47% figure. No policy response, crop alternatives or government measures are identified in the available material.

The study’s reported findings nevertheless connect Punjab’s dependence on groundwater-intensive agriculture with rising costs and environmental deterioration, while indicating that the burden is not shared equally.