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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Punjab's water stress foregrounds tough policy trade-offs -Sanjiv Shankaran

Punjab's water stress foregrounds tough policy trade-offs -Sanjiv Shankaran

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published Published on Aug 6, 2017   modified Modified on Aug 6, 2017
-The Times of India blog

A reply by Water Resources minister Uma Bharti  to a Lok Sabha question on groundwater depletion foregrounds tough trade-offs facing India’s policymakers.

According to Bharti, an assessment of groundwater resources and usage showed that 16% of 6,584 assessment units in India are “overexploited.”

A table which accompanies her reply provides state-wise data. Here, Punjab stands out for the magnitude of overexploitation. If 16% of assessed units in India are overexploited, the figure rises to 76% in case of Punjab. It is the most water stressed Indian state.

Punjab also happens to be India’s most important state in providing food security. It is a massive contributor to the cereal-dependent public distribution system.

One way of looking at it is India’s food security is heavily dependent on a state which is perhaps the worst placed in terms of water stress. Punjab’s impressive agricultural production is partly an outcome of its irrigation coverage. About 98.5% of Punjab’s crop area is irrigated, mainly on account of groundwater irrigation. Without this supply of water, Punjab will surely not be a large contributor to rice procurement by state agencies.

It is not just quantity where Punjab’s farmers score. According to Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices, Punjab has the highest yield in paddy among states.

This is where a policy maker will face difficult trade-offs.

Please click here to read more.

The Times of India, 3 August, 2017, http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cash-flow/punjabs-water-stress-foregrounds-tough-policy-trade-offs/


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