Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney Raises Alarm Over Punjab's Rapid Groundwater Depletion
In a significant development, Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney has voiced serious concerns regarding the alarming rate of groundwater depletion in Punjab. Citing an official response from the Ministry of Jal Shakti to his parliamentary query, Sahney highlighted critical data from the Central Ground Water Board that underscores the severity of the situation.
Disturbing Data Reveals Widespread Decline
The official data, based on a post-monsoon assessment in 2025, reveals a troubling picture. While approximately 57% of monitored wells across Punjab showed a marginal rise in groundwater levels, a concerning over 42% of wells recorded a decline. This assessment period is particularly noteworthy as it followed the worst floods in Punjab's modern history, making the findings even more distressing and indicative of underlying vulnerabilities.
Critical Depths in Key Agricultural and Urban Districts
The situation is especially dire in several regions. Nearly 9% of wells now have groundwater levels deeper than 40 metres, with this critical depletion concentrated in vital agricultural districts such as Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala, Moga, and Malerkotla. Urban districts, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Bathinda, are also under significant stress, with most wells falling within the 10 to 40 metre depth range, signaling ongoing pressure on water resources.
Exclusion from Atal Bhujal Yojana and Call for Action
Sahney expressed deep anguish over Punjab's exclusion from the Atal Bhujal Yojana, a central government scheme aimed at groundwater management, despite repeated requests for inclusion. He urgently appealed to the Union government to announce a Punjab-specific package focused on groundwater revival and crop diversification. Sahney warned that without immediate and targeted intervention, the state faces an impending and potentially irreversible water crisis, threatening agriculture, livelihoods, and overall sustainability.
