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Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
India cannot resolve its food challenge without fixing how it uses water
Written by Anushka Bandyopadhyay, Raktimava Bose and Saurabh Bandyopadhyay Water underpins nearly every aspect of human well-being, from food security and sanitation to clean energy and public health. Yet, as cities expand, industries grow, and agriculture continues to dominate water use, we are confronting a sobering reality. In many parts of the world, water demand now exceeds what nature can sustainably supply. In India, farming remains the largest consumer, but domestic and industrial use is rising fast. Although India supports nearly 18 per cent of the global population, it possesses only 4 per cent of the world's freshwater resources. A significant portion of this limited supply, ranging from 78 to 90 per cent, depending on the source, is consumed by agriculture alone. The result is a widening gap between what we need and what we have. India's emergence as a global agricultural leader is undeniable. It is the world's largest producer of milk and spices, and the second-largest producer of fruits, vegetables, and fish. But this success hides a deeper crisis: Our water resources are being depleted faster than they can be replenished. Over 80 per cent of India's freshwater withdrawals go to agriculture, much of it lost to inefficient and unsustainable use. In Punjab, groundwater levels are falling by more than one metre every year, driven by the expansion of paddy cultivation and free electricity. According to the Central Ground Water Board, 78 per cent of Punjab's administrative blocks are now over-exploited, up from 50 per cent in 2004. India is, quite literally, eating its way into a groundwater emergency. What makes this worse is that our input-intensive, water-thirsty model isn't even delivering on its core promise, that is, nutrition. Despite achieving food self-sufficiency, nutrition outcomes remain poor. NFHS-5 data show that 35.5 per cent of children under five are stunted, 32.1 per cent are underweight, and 16.6 per cent of the population remains undernourished. This mismatch between food security and nutritional security reflects a deeper flaw: Our incentives prioritise calorie-rich crops like rice and wheat, backed by water subsidies, at the cost of more nutritious, climate-resilient alternatives. Irrigation, often seen as part of the problem, can also be part of the solution, if managed right. Beyond boosting yields, smart irrigation allows diversification into pulses, vegetables, and oilseeds, which improves household nutrition. It ensures fodder for livestock, raises rural incomes, and reduces distress migration. If used wisely, irrigation can help India grow not just more food, but better food. The roots of the imbalance lie in flawed policy choices. In Punjab, the Green Revolution displaced traditional crops with paddy, and free electricity drove indiscriminate use of deep tubewells. In Maharashtra, sugarcane, grown on just 4 per cent of agricultural land, uses over 70 per cent of the state's irrigation water. The impact is especially severe in drought-prone districts like Solapur. Gujarat, however, offers a model of reform. The Jyotigram Yojana, launched in the early 2000s, separated agricultural and domestic power feeders and introduced metered irrigation supply. The result — a 20 per cent drop in groundwater extraction and wider adoption of micro-irrigation in water-scarce regions like Saurashtra and Kutch. India needs a two-pronged approach: Increase water availability in underused regions like eastern India, and sharply reduce demand in over-extracted zones, especially the northwest. First, we must rethink incentives. Minimum support prices (MSPs) should be aligned with agro-ecological realities. Supporting millets, pulses, and oilseeds through procurement in rainfed areas can align sustainability with dietary diversity. The 2023 declaration of the International Year of Millets was a welcome step, but it must be backed by consistent fiscal support, market access, and consumer awareness. Second, we need smarter pricing of water and electricity. Though politically difficult, pilot projects suggest farmers do respond to price signals if better options are available. In Andhra Pradesh, prepaid smart meters on pumps led to a 15 per cent drop in electricity use and greater adoption of drip systems. When paired with efficient technology, pricing can nudge behaviour without coercion. Third, India must scale up micro-irrigation. Despite 74 million hectares under irrigation, only 12 per cent is covered by drip and sprinkler systems. These can save 30 to 70 per cent of water depending on the crop and terrain. The main barriers, high upfront costs and limited awareness, can be overcome with public-private models, equipment leasing, and targeted subsidies for small and marginal farmers. Fourth, and perhaps most crucial, is investing in farmer-led water literacy. Reforms will fail unless farmers change how they perceive and value water. Many still equate abundance with security, unaware that overuse today threatens tomorrow's resilience. Community-led initiatives like water user associations, participatory irrigation management, and groundwater audits, as in Maharashtra's Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan, can embed conservation into daily practice and foster collective action. India cannot resolve its food challenge without fixing how it uses water. Water must be treated as a finite economic resource, not a limitless political entitlement. This requires tough but essential reforms — rethinking subsidies, realigning procurement, pricing inputs rationally, and building trust with farmers. In an era of rising climate uncertainty, India must shift from growing crops based on political arithmetic to those based on hydrological logic and nutritional need. The writers are associated with the National Council of Applied Economic Research. Views are personal
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
BMC launches aquifer mapping project along Mithi river to enhance water supply resources
Eyeing to enhance Mumbai's water supply resources, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a pilot project along the Mithi river basin to carry out a geophysical study and mapping of groundwater levels to determine its quality and quantity. Slated to be conducted over the course of one year, the project will undertake aquifer mapping with the aim of developing new public recharge systems like borewells. The study is in line with the National Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM) programme by the Central Ground Water Board, which was initiated by the Jal Shakti Ministry in 2012 to prepare the area specific groundwater management plans. While the CGWB has been conducting its own mapping across the country over the past two years, the BMC's pilot project is an independent study, being carried out by its environment and climate change department. The mapping project, according to officials, is aimed at making Mumbai's existing water resources future proof in the wake of the climate crisis. Currently, Mumbai draws its potable water from seven lakes, situated in Mumbai as well as neighbouring districts like Thane, Palghar and Nashik. It is during the four monsoon months that these lakes are replenished, with the water from their catchment area supplied across the city throughout the year through a complex network of water channels. 'Mumbai presently is entirely dependent on the surface level water with all its resources and lakes situated far away from the city. However, in light of the climate change crisis, if Mumbai were not to receive adequate rain for two years, it can face the brunt of severe water scarcity. To establish new means of resources in a coastal city like Mumbai, we will have to tap into the groundwater levels for which we will need to conduct a study by digging the surface and examine the salinity of underground water, considering Mumbai's proximity to the coasts,' said an official. With the aim of identifying appropriate zones to develop new public recharge systems, the civic body has now taken up the cudgels to conduct mapping and study of aquifer levels beneath the surface. This is the first time that the civic body is conducting such a study, officials said. For its pilot project, the BMC will commence the study along the Mithi river basin as it serves as the biggest natural catchment area in Mumbai and passes through Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Speaking to The Indian Express, an official said the project will first look at the geophysical survey to determine the geology and make-up of the soil. 'Following this, we will carry out a geochemical survey wherein we will conduct sampling of the soil, rock and water quality. Then, we will do thematic mapping through which we will determine the confined and unconfined zone. On the basis of our mapping, we can plan the appropriate means of a recharge structure,' the official added. Recently, the BMC floated tenders for the supply of equipment for the collection of data for the aquifer mapping project. Pegged to cost over Rs 25 lakh, equipment such as 300 water quality testing kits, manual rain gauge, GPS devices, measuring tapes of upto 30 m lengths, water level loggers and sounders will be procured to conduct the pilot mapping work. Meanwhile, the civic body has already started identifying borewells and ringwells along the Mithi river, wherein the study will be carried out. Spanning 17.8 km, the Mithi river originates at Vihar Lake and flows through several zones encompassing slum areas, industrial pockets as well residential zones, before it discharges into Mahim creek. 'If our pilot project along Mithi succeeds, we will try to replicate the project across the rest of the city. Ultimately, our objective with the project is to strengthen Mumbai's water supply resources,' said the official.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Surplus rain sends groundwater level up in Trichy
There is good news for Trichiites on the drinking water front. Despite soaring temperatures, groundwater levels are higher than last year in Trichy as well as most central districts, thanks to surplus unseasonal rains since March and a good monsoon last year. The surge is helping the region meet its drinking water requirements. In Trichy, the groundwater level was at 5 metre below ground level in April compared to 7.91 metre in the same month last year, indicating a difference of 2.83 metre. The level was also higher in Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Karur, Perambalur, and Ariyalur and lower than last year in Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Mayiladuthurai districts. "The occasional unseasonal rain has augmented groundwater tables for the past few months. Hence, the levels are higher than last year despite hot temperatures now," a senior official of the water resources department in Trichy said. According to officials at the regional meteorological centre of Indian Meteorological Department in Chennai, the surplus rainwater is replenishing underground acquifers. In Trichy, the state water resources department and Central Ground Water Board monitor groundwater levels at 142 observation wells every month. Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board observes the levels at 47 observation wells twice a year. Similarly, the levels in other districts are also observed. TWAD Board sources told TOI that they observed a rise in the height of the groundwater level from 20 metre in May 2024 to 13 metre in January 2025 after a good northeast monsoon. "The level is rising again after January due to unseasonal rains. The availability helps us (TWAD) and local bodies to supply drinking water as per requirements," a TWAD official said. The rainfall boost has not aided districts like Thanjavur and Pudukottai unlike other central districts like Trichy, Perambalur, and Ariyalur. The levels were lower than last year in those two districts. Darwin Annadurai, an environmental scientist and founder of Eco Society India, said, "Despite monsoon and unseasonal rains, groundwater levels may not be high as expected when the extraction is higher than recharge. When there is higher extraction for purposes such as drinking water, agriculture, and industries, or when there are environmental damages like excavation, the groundwater levels may not be high in comparison. " With Mettur dam scheduled to open on June 12 and Cauvery river water expected to arrive in the days that follow, officials and experts said the groundwater level will rise further due to recharge caused by river water percolation.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
For groundwater depletion, Bilaspur admn mulls GPS on borewell drillers
Raipur: Amid concerns over continuous depletion in groundwater levels, the Bilaspur district administration is planning to install GPS tracking systems on all borewell drilling machines to monitor and curb unauthorised and illegal groundwater extraction by digging during the summer months. The initiative aims to track the real-time movement and operations of these machines. Bilaspur collector Sanjay Agrawal convened a meeting with borewell drilling contractors on Saturday, underscoring the critical need for water conservation and seeking their cooperation in this endeavour. Approximately 50 contractors were present at the meeting. "We are planning to implement the GPS installation method, which is currently in its initial phase," Agrawal informed to a report by the Central Ground Water Board, the collector highlighted its concerning findings. Operation Sindoor India-Pakistan Tensions Live Updates: India hits back after Pakistan violates ceasefire; Nagrota sentry hurt in brief gunfire Operation Sindoor Live Updates: Drones shot down at multiple places in J&K as Pakistan violates bilateral understanding Pak drones enter Indian airspace, explosions heard just hours after truce deal "Only 2% of groundwater is used for drinking, 13% for industrial purposes, and a significant 85% is consumed in agricultural production," Agrawal said during the meeting with contractors and PHE (public health engineering) also informed the contractors and PHE officials about the alarming decline in the groundwater table in Bilaspur. He noted that while groundwater was accessible at a depth of 80-90 ft in the 1990s, it has become challenging to find water even at 300 ft now. "Every five years, the groundwater level is depleting by approximately 50 ft, which is a matter of serious concern. I visited Bija in Takhatpur tehsil on Saturday, and residents informed me that the groundwater level plummeted to 600 ft," the district collector collector emphasised the growing concern regarding groundwater preservation and stressed that stringent measures are essential for effective water conservation. "Natural resources are not the entitlement of just one or two generations," Mr Agrawal remarked, asserting that misuse wouldn't be PHE officials were unable to provide data on the number of borewells used for agricultural purposes in the district when queried by the collector during the meeting. However, the collector mentioned that he sought the data. Regarding the total number of tubewells and borewells in the rural areas of the district, the collector stated that their count is approximately 9, the meet, the collector directed strict adherence to the regulations governing borewell drilling and appealed to the contractors to actively participate in water conservation efforts. Amid increasing concerns of water scarcity , the mechanical division of PHE has been entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing this directive, ensuring monitoring of all borewell drilling activitiesRaipur: Amid concerns over continuous depletion in groundwater levels, the Bilaspur district administration is planning to install GPS tracking systems on all borewell drilling machines to monitor and curb unauthorised and illegal groundwater extraction by digging during the summer months. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Affordable Apartments Available for Rent in Binh Tri Dong B – Find Your Ideal Home Today! Apartments for rent | Search Ads Learn More Undo The initiative aims to track the real-time movement and operations of these machines. Bilaspur collector Sanjay Agrawal convened a meeting with borewell drilling contractors on Saturday, underscoring the critical need for water conservation and seeking their cooperation in this endeavour. Approximately 50 contractors were present at the meeting. "We are planning to implement the GPS installation method, which is currently in its initial phase," Agrawal informed to a report by the Central Ground Water Board, the collector highlighted its concerning findings. "Only 2% of groundwater is used for drinking, 13% for industrial purposes, and a significant 85% is consumed in agricultural production," Agrawal said during the meeting with contractors and PHE (public health engineering) also informed the contractors and PHE officials about the alarming decline in the groundwater table in Bilaspur. He noted that while groundwater was accessible at a depth of 80-90 ft in the 1990s, it has become challenging to find water even at 300 ft now. "Every five years, the groundwater level is depleting by approximately 50 ft, which is a matter of serious concern. I visited Bija in Takhatpur tehsil on Saturday, and residents informed me that the groundwater level plummeted to 600 ft," the district collector collector emphasised the growing concern regarding groundwater preservation and stressed that stringent measures are essential for effective water conservation. "Natural resources are not the entitlement of just one or two generations," Mr Agrawal remarked, asserting that misuse wouldn't be PHE officials were unable to provide data on the number of borewells used for agricultural purposes in the district when queried by the collector during the meeting. However, the collector mentioned that he sought the data. Regarding the total number of tubewells and borewells in the rural areas of the district, the collector stated that their count is approximately 9, the meet, the collector directed strict adherence to the regulations governing borewell drilling and appealed to the contractors to actively participate in water conservation efforts. Amid increasing concerns of water scarcity, the mechanical division of PHE has been entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing this directive, ensuring monitoring of all borewell drilling activities
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab on brink: From myths, misgovernance to reforms
For years, a troubling narrative has echoed through political corridors and public discourse, that Punjab, a state grappling with acute water stress, is unwilling to share its waters with Haryana and is irresponsibly letting Indian river water flow into Pakistan. While politically expedient, this storyline is scientifically flawed and misleading. It obscures the hydrological realities, ecological fragility, and structural constraints shaped by outdated policies and international treaties. Amid escalating tension over water sharing, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann visited the Nangal dam in Rupnagar district on May 1. The AAP government convened a special assembly session on May 5 and passed a resolution, saying it won't give a drop of water from its share to neighbouring Haryana. (HT file photo) Punjab is confronting an unprecedented water emergency. Once a key pillar of the Green Revolution, the state's agricultural success has come at an ecological cost. According to the Central Ground Water Board's 2022 report, 117 of Punjab's 150 administrative blocks are over-exploited, meaning groundwater extraction far exceeds natural recharge. In Sangrur, Patiala, and Bathinda districts, the water table is falling by over a metre a year, rendering shallow aquifers increasingly inaccessible. Compounding this crisis is the decline in surface water availability. Punjab's three primary rivers, the Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas, have become largely seasonal, swelling only during the monsoon when irrigation demand is low. During the critical rabi and kharif cropping seasons, these rivers often run dry, forcing agriculture to rely on groundwater. The monsoon surge that does arrive often flows downstream, sometimes into Pakistan, not by political choice but due to insufficient storage infrastructure. Storage paradox Punjab lacks the physical capacity to regulate or retain monsoon surpluses. This is the result not only of policy neglect but also of ecological and geographical constraints. Studies by the Central Water Commission and Punjab's irrigation department indicate that most feasible sites for large dams or reservoirs have either been exhausted or are unviable due to terrain limitations, ecological sensitivity, and population density. Given the flat topography of the state and the high socio-environmental costs of displacement, large-scale additional storage infrastructure is no longer economically or environmentally viable. As a result, unutilised monsoon flows crossing into Pakistan are not an outcome of policy indifference, but a structural limitation. In villages of southwestern Punjab, including districts of Mansa, Bathinda, and Faridkot, farmers speak of deepening despair. Borewells have dried up. Repeated drilling yields brackish or unsafe sub-soil water. Canal flows are inconsistent, leading to water insecurity. The situation in central Punjab is no different. These conditions are driving a new wave of agrarian distress and rural migration, contributing to a near-systemic collapse of the agricultural economy. SYL Canal debate The longstanding controversy over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal continues to dominate regional politics. However, the root of the conflict lies not in Punjab's refusal to cooperate, but in the flawed hydrological assumptions behind historical water allocations. The 1976 central notification, which allotted 3.5 million acre-feet (MAF) of water to Haryana, was not based on updated scientific assessments. The 1981 tripartite agreement between Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan similarly failed to account for groundwater depletion, population growth, and climate variability. Despite these limitations, Punjab receives only a fraction of the flows originating from its rivers. Substantial volumes are diverted to Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi, while Punjab bears the disproportionate ecological burden of embankment maintenance, basin management, flood control, and canal desilting — costs often overlooked in national discourse. The Punjab assembly has consistently opposed the SYL Canal's construction, citing ecological fragility and the absence of surplus water. The Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, though later reviewed unfavorably by the Supreme Court, remains a powerful assertion: The state cannot share what it no longer has. The recurring claim that Punjab lets water flow to Pakistan instead of Indian states misrepresents the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank. The treaty allocates the eastern rivers, the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, to India, and the western rivers, the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, to Pakistan. While India holds full rights over the eastern rivers, seasonal overflow during the monsoon, when storage is unfeasible, may cross the border. These flows are not political choices, they are hydraulic outcomes bound by geography and treaty obligations. The Indus Water Treaty surely needs to be reviewed in view of changed hydrological, ecological and geo-political conditions. Failing framework Punjab's crisis reflects not merely state-level failure but a broader breakdown of national water governance. Rarely does an inter-state water dispute in the country get settled amicably or judicially and conclusively. Despite knowing that Punjab cannot build new reservoirs, there has been no coordinated federal effort to develop upstream storage infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, or Jammu and Kashmir, where the topography is more suitable. These dams, if built, could regulate monsoon flows and provide buffer storage for downstream states, including Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Instead, the national conversation remains mired in blame games and state-versus-state confrontations, undermining opportunities for shared, science-based solutions. Innovation, federal cooperation Solving Punjab's water crisis demands institutional innovation and federal cooperation. Key recommendations include: *Establishing a river basin authority under constitutional provisions to enable integrated basin planning and modelling; transparent, satellite-based water accounting; ecological flow assessments; and independent conflict resolution mechanisms. *Launching a national Himalayan storage mission, with targeted investment in upstream dams, environmental safeguards, and benefit-sharing frameworks involving Punjab and other riparian states. *Negotiating a bargain between Punjab and the Centre, under which the state accelerates its shift from water-intensive paddy (underway in parts of Doaba and Malwa); the Centre guarantees procurement of alternative crops; investment in micro-irrigation technologies (drip and sprinkler systems); and farmers receive financial and technical transition support. The myth that Punjab is hoarding water or prioritising Pakistan over fellow Indian states must be decisively laid to rest. It is a dangerous distraction from the real issue: A national crisis of water governance, compounded by scientific neglect, institutional inertia, and political myopia. Punjab is not the problem, it is a symptom of a broken system. Solving its water crisis will require not just engineering solutions, but a new political imagination, one that treats water not as a political weapon, but as a shared, finite, and sacred national resource. sureshkumarnangia@ Suresh Kumar. (HT file photo) The writer is a retired Punjab IAS officer. Views expressed are personal.
