They say the most significant reason for the acute depletion of groundwater in Punjab in the past about 40 years is the cultivation of paddy, as has been categorically established by empirical data in various studies.
Ruchika Khanna

As the Punjab Government goes ahead with its plan to advance paddy sowing by 20 days, raising the hackles of agriculture scientists, the latest report on groundwater situation in the state has revealed a decline in level in all districts of Punjab.

The water level decline of 0-2m has been observed in 59.17 per cent of the area, a decline of 2-4m has been observed in 0.08 per cent of the area and over 4m decline has been observed in less than 1 per cent of the area.

These are the findings of the latest Ground Water Level Bulletin prepared by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in January. This report is prepared four times a year, after the groundwater is continuously monitored at 521 locations of the state. The decadal mean fluctuations show that water level has declined in 81.05 per cent area of Punjab, between 2015-2024. While a majority of the area (43.60 per cent) has witnessed a decline of 0-2 m, a decline of 4m has been observed in 20.14 per cent area in the past decade.

No wonder, agriculture scientists are alarmed at the decision of the government to advance paddy sowing. Eminent and world-renowned scientists like Dr S S Johl, Dr G S Khush, Dr Rattan Lal, Dr B S Dhillon, Dr J S Samra, Dr Jai Rup Singh, Dr S S Chahal, Dr J S Mahal, Dr N S Bains and Dr D S Cheema, along with former bureaucrat Kahan Singh Pannu, have formed a group called Punjab Water Initiative Group. This group has today written to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, making an appeal to reconsider the decision of allowing early transplantation of paddy to avoid environmental catastrophe of groundwater depletion in Punjab.

“We are all aware that the water-table in Punjab is going down at the rate of 2 feet each year. The CGWB has clearly warned in its report, published in 2023, that the groundwater in all three aquifers of the state up to a depth of 1000 feet shall completely exhaust by 2039 in the next 14 years. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the present generation of political executives, administrators, planners and intellectuals to take immediate actions to ameliorate the situation. The most significant reason for the acute depletion of groundwater in Punjab in the past about 40 years is the cultivation of paddy, as has been categorically established by empirical data in various studies,” they have said.

The letter further says that the transplantation of paddy in standing water, puddled or not puddled, especially before the onset of monsoon, is disaster not only for water resource, but also for environment. The Punjab Preservation of Sub Soil Water Act, 2009, under which the date of the transplantation of paddy was fixed as June 10, was a cornerstone in ameliorating the water crisis to some extent.

“During the period of last 16 years, agricultural scientists have been able to develop paddy varieties which take 30 days less to mature compared to the pre-2009 paddy varieties. The delayed transplantation of paddy has even positively impacted the paddy production dynamics in the state, as both the production and productivity of paddy during this period has seen upward trend. The ultimate goal was to align the paddy transplantation with the onset of monsoons in the first week of July. Even the PAU, in its clear recommendation sent to the state government on March 10, has strongly recommended that paddy transplantation date for 2025 should be allowed in phases, starting from June. The detailed reasoning given by the university for delaying paddy transplantation can be overlooked only at the peril of the sustainability of agriculture and existence of Punjab’s civilisation. We urge you to reconsider the decision,” they said collectively in the letter. They have also said that a major area of Punjab is covered under short-duration varieties of paddy, which take only 90-100 days after transplantation to mature, therefore, the paddy transplanted even in July will mature for harvesting by 1st fortnight of October.

Eminent farm scientists like Dr SS Johl, Dr GS Khush, Dr Rattan Lal, Dr B S Dhillon, Dr JS Samra, Dr Jai Rup Singh, Dr SS Chahal, Dr JS Mahal, Dr NS Bains and Dr DS Cheema, along with former bureaucrat Kahan Singh Pannu, on Wednesday appealed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to reconsider the decision of allowing early transplantation of paddy to avoid environmental catastrophe of groundwater depletion in Punjab.

Published Date: April 18, 2025