Groundwater depleting at fast pace in Punjab

Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and Moga are the worst-hit districts, where experts foresee acute shortage of water with every passing season

The groundwater resource in Punjab is depleting at an alarming rate. Not only depletion, even the quality of water has suffered to a great extent due to its overexploitation.

The overuse of groundwater is for diverse purposes like irrigation, drinking, industry and power generation.

A study conducted by the Water Resources and Environment Directorate, Punjab Irrigation Department, has found that while 103 blocks (75 per cent) are overexploited, five (4 per cent) are in a critical state and four (3 per cent) are in a semi-critical state. Interestingly, only 25 blocks (18 per cent) have been found safe. While there is an urgent need to recharge water in overexploited areas, it is also needed to develop available shallow water in safe blocks to avoid waterlogging.

It has been observed that the state is facing dual phenomena of rising water table in south-western parts, where water extraction is limited due to brackish or saline quality, whereas water table is falling in areas where it comes fresh and is fit for human consumption.

Experts have emphasised that present groundwater is unable to meet the demands of future development in the state. Net groundwater available for irrigation development has been continuously decreasing as per various studies.

Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and Moga are the worst-hit districts, where experts foresee acute shortage of water with every passing season.

The fall in level of water table has been drastic from 8cm per year to 95 cm per year. The districts suffering from poor water quality include Bathinda, Sangrur, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar.

Groundwater in these districts has high levels of salinity and fluoride content.

Experts point that water guzzling paddy crop and spurt in the use of heavy-duty tubewells in the state are deepening the crisis. There are more than 11 lakh tubewells in the state (around 8 lakh electrical and 4 lakh diesel-operated).

Noted environmentalist from the the Gandhi Peace Foundation and receipient of Dr TN Khoshoo Memorial award for 2006, Dr Anupam Mishra, feels that without political will, the water crisis cannot be arrested.

Talking to TNS from Delhi, he added that two things are urgently needed in Punjab - shift from water-guzzling crops to water-friendly crops and harvesting monsoon water along with stopping depletion.

"A famous Hindi saying goes that ‘kanak ke saath dhaan mat lagao’ (don't sow wheat and paddy in an area). However, after the construction of Bhakhra Dam, people forgot this saying and today are reaping the aftermath of an experiment gone wrong," says this expert on traditional water harvesting structures and writer of famous book “Aaj Bhi Khare Hai Taalab”.