Punjab's Water Woes and India's Food Security

Ground water tables in Punjab are declining at alarming rates in most districts of Punjab. One of the major causes of declining water tables is the increased cropping intensity. Whereas cropping intensity in Punjab was only 120% until about 50 years ago, it is now 190%. With one crop per year, a balance was maintained between water extraction and aquifer recharge. With two crops per year, this balance has been altered. Homogenization of crops in the state has also exacerbated the problem. Even more serious threat to nation's agriculture is climate change. Himalayan glaciers, which are water towers for our rivers, are retreating. This will reduce the water flow in our rivers. While the climate-change impact on our water availability is several years away, we must address immediate problem of declining water tables in the state. Suggested interventions include crop diversification, precision agriculture, including water saving technologies, and developing crop varieties with improved water-use efficiency.