Punjab needs urgent steps to unlock growth, equity, stability

Once hailed as India's most prosperous and progressive state, Punjab now faces a deepening crisis.

- Suresh Kumar

From a symbol of agricultural success to a region grappling with economic stagnation and social unrest, Punjab's decline underscores the consequences of neglect and missed opportunities. However, despite this turmoil, there remains a flicker of hope—Punjab can rise again if it embraces a strategy of growth, equity, and stability.

Punjab's transformation was once a testament to visionary progress. The Green Revolution of the 1960s transformed its agricultural sector, turning the state into India's breadbasket and ensuring national food security. By the 1980s, Punjab's agricultural wealth fostered an educated and skilled workforce, laying the foundation for economic prosperity. But today, Punjab's economy faces significant challenges that demand urgent attention.

Challenges galore The state's agricultural sector, once a pillar of strength, now represents a lost opportunity. Although it still contributes 30% of India's wheat, Punjab's reliance on old farming practices, environmental degradation, and water scarcity have deepened its crisis. Over 50% of Punjab's population is engaged in agriculture, but this sector contributes only 30% to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). The over-reliance on agriculture and water-intensive crops like rice, combined with poor water management and chemical overuse, has led to severe soil degradation and the rapid depletion of groundwater, with levels dropping by 60 cm annually.

Meanwhile, farmers face skyrocketing input costs, low input efficiency, and stagnant yields, entrenching them in a cycle of debt and despair. Tragically, this situation has led to widespread farmer suicides, further deepening the sense of hopelessness.