The groundwater potential of the gangetic valley is on a serious decline. How may it affect the food security of India?
Q. 14. The groundwater potential of the gangetic valley is on a serious decline. How may it affect the food security of India?
The rapid depletion of groundwater in the Gangetic Valley poses an existential threat to India’s food security, given the region’s pivotal role as the “breadbasket of India.” This fertile plain accounts for 60% of India’s rice production and 85% of its wheat stocks, but unsustainable practices and climate pressures have caused groundwater levels to fall by 2–3 meters annually in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Below is a structured analysis of the crisis and its implications:
Reasons for Groundwater Decline
1. Over-Extraction for Irrigation
85% of extracted groundwater is used for agriculture, with states like Punjab and Haryana relying on it for 90% of irrigation needs.
Free electricity subsidies incentivize unchecked pumping, leading to extraction rates that exceed recharge by 260% in critical zones.
2. Urbanization and Reduced Recharge
Cities like Varanasi and Lucknow have impermeable surfaces covering 70% of land, drastically reducing rainwater infiltration1. Bengaluru, for instance, harvests only 10% of rainwater, wasting 90% as runoff.
3. Pollution and Soil Degradation
40% of groundwater samples in the Gangetic Valley exceed permissible nitrate levels due to agrochemical runoff. Salinization from over-irrigation has rendered 2.5 million hectares in Punjab and Haryana unsuitable for staple crops.
4. Climate Change Impacts
Monsoon rainfall over the Gangetic Plains has declined by 15–20% since the 1950s, weakening recharge capacity. Rising Indian Ocean temperatures exacerbate this trend, causing frequent droughts and erratic rainfall.
5. Policy Failures
Fragmented governance between the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and state agencies has led to unregulated drilling, with 30 million borewells operational nationwide.
Impacts on Food Security
1. Decline in Staple Crop Production
A 1-meter drop in groundwater reduces food grain output by 8%, threatening rice and wheat yields that underpin India’s Public Distribution System (PDS).
Western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab could face 30% yield losses for wheat by 2030 if current trends persist.
2. Crop Substitution and Nutritional Gaps
Farmers in Rajasthan and Maharashtra are shifting from wheat to millets, but these crops provide 30% fewer calories per hectare, risking dietary deficits. This undermines the National Food Security Act (NFSA), which mandates 5 kg/month of rice/wheat for 800 million people.
3. Threat to Green Revolution Gains**
Groundwater-fed irrigation drove India’s grain production from 50 million tonnes (1950) to 330 million tonnes (2023). Depletion risks reversing this, with the UN warning that northwestern India could face “Day Zero” groundwater collapse by 2025.
4. Farmer Distress and Land Degradation
58% of farmers in Punjab are indebted due to falling yields and rising pumping costs. Over-extraction has caused alkaline soils in 1.2 million hectares of Uttar Pradesh, rendering them unfit for rice cultivation.
5. Food Inflation and Access Inequality
A 10% decline in rice production could spike retail prices by 18–22%, disproportionately affecting low-income households. In 2022, India ranked 68th in the Global Food Security Index, reflecting vulnerabilities in affordability and nutrition.
Mitigation Strategies
1. Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Drip irrigation can reduce water use by 40–60% compared to flood irrigation. Andhra Pradesh’s Farmer Managed Groundwater Systems (APFAMGS) cut extraction by 20–30% through community-led water budgeting.
Crop diversification to maize and pulses in Punjab could save 4,500 liters/kg versus rice.
2. Groundwater Recharge Programs
Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) in Rajasthan’s Johads (traditional ponds) boosted water tables by 4–6 meters. Scaling such projects in the Gangetic Valley requires $2.5 billion/year in federal funding.
3. Policy Overhauls
Implement the Mihir Shah Committee (2016) recommendation to unify the CGWB and Central Water Commission for integrated management.
Introduce power rationing and metered tariffs to curb over-extraction, as successfully tested in Gujarat’s Jyotigram Yojana.
4. Pollution Control and Data-Driven Governance
Enforce Zero Liquid Discharge norms for industries and promote organic farming to reduce nitrate contamination.
Deploy AI-based predictive models to monitor aquifer health, as piloted by the National Aquifer Mapping Program (NAQUIM).
Conclusion
The Gangetic Valley’s groundwater crisis threatens to unravel decades of agricultural progress, risking food shortages for 1.4 billion people. A 2023 UN report warns that 60% of India’s aquifers will be in critical condition by 2030 unless extraction is halved. Success hinges on adopting Israel-style micro-irrigation, empowering grassroots institutions like Uttarakhand’s Pani Panchayats, and revising MSP policies to incentivize millet cultivation. With 40% of India’s population reliant on this region for food, integrated water governance is not just urgent—it is existential.
