Addressing Punjab's ailing groundwater governance

As a key component of the Green Revolution, groundwater irrigation played a crucial role in averting the food crises of the 1960s. Groundwater in Punjab, once a common resource, now exemplifies the "tragedy of the commons". According to government data, 95% of the groundwater extracted in the state is used for irrigation.

- Deepratan Singh | Anmol R Singh

As a key component of the Green Revolution, groundwater irrigation played a crucial role in averting the food crises of the 1960s. Groundwater in Punjab, once a common resource, now exemplifies the "tragedy of the commons". According to government data, 95% of the groundwater extracted in the state is used for irrigation. The untargeted free power policy for the farm sector has led to unchecked groundwater extraction, causing significant depletion. An understanding of the groundwater challenges necessitates an examination of the legal, institutional and governance dimensions, pivotal to its management.

Water management in India is divided between the State and Union lists: Water supplies, irrigation, and related areas are covered under Entry 17 of the State List, while interstate rivers fall under Entry 56 of the Union List. The Constitution mandates the equitable and socially just use of natural resources, including groundwater. The practical importance of groundwater is often neglected by the country's water laws, as the majority of regulation is geared towards surface water. Enforcing for-mal groundwater laws has always been problematic due to the vast number of users, monitoring challenges and lack of updated scientific information along with technical and financial constraints.