‘At this rate, Punjab may run out of water’: Experts raise concerns over advancing paddy sowing

Dr Sutantra Airy, the former director of the Punjab Agriculture Department, said that the decision to transplant paddy after June 10 was made in order to conserve water. By mid-June, the pre-monsoon period begins, during which scattered rain showers can help save a significant amount of water, Airy said.

“However, advancing paddy transplantation to an earlier date could have a detrimental impact on groundwater levels, which could become irreparable if there is insufficient rainfall. It is essential to consider this decision carefully, as it is also the responsibility of farmers to protect our precious groundwater resources. Additionally, short-duration varieties of paddy can still be harvested by the second week of October even if planted after June 20,” Airy added.

A senior scientist at Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), who did not want to be named, agreed. “Early sowing could place the state’s already overburdened aquifers under immense strain. The primary reason for the delay in paddy transplantation in the past was to align with the onset of the monsoon, which typically arrives by the end of June or early July. This way, around 80 per cent of the water requirement for early transplanting is met by rainfall, with the remaining 20 per cent supplemented by groundwater. But advancing the transplanting will force farmers to rely almost entirely on groundwater, making the situation unsustainable in the long term,” the scientist explained.

Even if 1/3rd of the paddy transplanting is done earlier, nearly 1,000 lakh million litres of groundwater could be wasted in just 10 days – a staggering amount that experts say could have a long-term impact on water availability in the region.

After the Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act was enacted in 2009, a fixed schedule for paddy transplanting has been followed in the state, starting after June 10. This regulation was meant to align paddy transplanting with the pre-monsoon period and close to the arrival of the monsoon rains, ensuring that groundwater resources were not overused.

The government’s decision to advance the paddy transplanting date has been made to address the moisture problem in the crop at the time of harvesting. Farmers, too, were demanding early sowing.

Experts, however, say the decision is shortsighted and unsustainable for long-term agricultural practices and could result in a massive depletion of the state’s already dwindling groundwater reserves. Already, 116 of Punjab’s 153 agricultural blocks have been categorised as overexploited or critical as groundwater extraction exceeds 100 per cent to 200 per cent and urgently require water conservation measures.

“At this rate, Punjab may run out of water in the upper aquifers, and agriculture will no longer be viable,” warned another expert who wished to remain anonymous.

Lakhs of litres of water would be used up

Paddy cultivation is known for its high water demands. During the initial 4-5 weeks after transplantation, farmers maintain a stagnant water level of around 3 inches (75 mm). In Punjab, where temperatures often soar to 45-47°C during the first week of June, the evaporation rate is exceptionally high – about 13-14 mm per day. As a result, farmers are forced to pump more water into the fields to maintain the required water level.

To put this into perspective, a one acre paddy field which covers 4,046.856 sq m requires approximately 3,03,514 litres of water to maintain the 3 inch water level. Given that one-third of the state’s 80 lakh acres of rice cultivation — approximately 27 lakh acres — will see paddy transplantation during the first 10 days of June, this decision could lead to the consumption of an additional 810 lakh million litres of groundwater, assuming there is no rainfall.

According to experts, even though the transplanting has been advanced, evaporation rates will remain the same, meaning that over 56,000 litres of water will evaporate from each acre every day. This would mean that farmers would need to pump an additional 151 lakh million litres of water into their fields to maintain the required water levels – a total extraction of over 961 lakh million litres.

This situation is further aggravated if more area is covered and along with the increased need for water to nurture paddy nurseries, which will be sown in early May – another month known for high temperatures and significant evaporation rates.

Surge in power demand likely

The effects of advancing paddy transplanting are not limited to water usage. The additional groundwater pumping required to maintain the 3-inch water level will also lead to a significant increase in power demand. According to data from the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, power demand during the first day of paddy sowing has seen a sharp rise in recent years.