The Hindu Editorial • September 23, 2026 • Read Original

Groundwater exploitation in Punjab disincentivises small farmers

Scoreclever

Win Exams Cleverly

The Hindu Read Original

9 min read

Analysis of editorial from The Hindu newspaper on September 23, 2026

Water wealth: On groundwater exploitation in Punjab

Groundwater exploitation in Punjab disincentivises small farmers

Environment Groundwater DepletionPunjab AgricultureWater CrisisPani Bachao Paisa KamaoIrrigation Policy

Sentences

Sentence 1 of 17

English Original

That Punjab is over-extracting groundwater is not news.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

That Punjab is groundwater

The fact that the state of Punjab is pumping out more underground water than can be replaced naturally

Part 2

is not news.

is already well known to everyone and comes as no surprise.

Sentence 2 of 17

English Original

According to the [2025-26 Dynamic Groundwater Assessment], its [groundwater extraction rate was 152%].

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

According to the [2025-26 ],

Based on the official 2025-26 government report evaluating underground water supplies,

Part 2

its [ was 152%].

Punjab was pumping out 152 litres of underground water for every 100 litres recharged by rainfall and rivers.

Context and Background

Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment

The Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment is conducted jointly by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and State Ground Water Departments. It classifies administrative units into Safe, Semi-Critical, Critical, and Over-Exploited blocks. An extraction rate exceeding 100% signifies groundwater overdraft, where water withdrawal severely exceeds natural annual replenishment.

Sentence 3 of 17

English Original

While interventions reduced the number of ‘over-exploited’ blocks by five over the last two assessments, 72% of its 153 blocks are in the ‘red zone’, the highest among States.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

While reduced the number of ‘’ blocks by five

Although specific government measures succeeded in lowering the count of severely depleted administrative blocks by five

Part 2

over the last two assessments,

during the course of the previous two official survey cycles,

Part 3

72% of its 153 blocks are in the ‘’,

an overwhelming 72 percent of Punjab’s 153 sub-districts remain categorized in the most dangerously depleted zone,

Part 4

the highest among States.

representing the largest proportion of critically over-used groundwater units among all Indian states.

Context and Background

Groundwater Categorization: The Red Zone

The Central Ground Water Board classifies assessment units into four categories based on extraction levels and water table trends: Safe (extraction up to 70%), Semi-Critical (70-90%), Critical (90-100%), and Over-Exploited (above 100%), often designated as the ‘red zone’. In over-exploited blocks, new commercial or industrial tube wells are strictly restricted due to imminent aquifer depletion.

Sentence 4 of 17

English Original

The principal consumer is irrigation for rice and wheat, amounting to nearly 25 billion cubic metres a year in the latest estimate.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The consumer

The primary and largest user of this pumped water

Part 2

is for rice and wheat,

is watering agricultural fields for paddy and wheat crops,

Part 3

amounting to nearly 25 billion a year

reaching an enormous total of almost 25 billion cubic metres annually

Part 4

in the latest estimate.

according to the most recently published data calculation.

Context and Background

Water Consumption of Paddy Cultivation

Paddy is a water-guzzling crop requiring about 3,000 to 5,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of rice. In Punjab, nearly 85% of total irrigation needs are met through groundwater pumped via over 14 lakh tube wells, leading to an annual agricultural withdrawal of nearly 25 billion cubic metres (BCM).

Sentence 5 of 17

English Original

Data also show that the fraction of observation wells with water below 40 metres in the post-monsoon period grew by two percentage points between 2022 and 2025.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Data also show that

Government records and statistical figures additionally reveal that

Part 2

the fraction of with water below 40 metres in the period

the proportion of monitoring wells where groundwater sank deeper than 40 metres even after the rainy season

Part 3

grew by two

increased by two percentage points

Part 4

between 2022 and 2025.

over the three-year timeframe from 2022 to 2025.

Context and Background

Groundwater Observation Wells in India

The Central Ground Water Board maintains a dedicated network of over 25,000 groundwater monitoring wells across India, known as observation or piezometer wells. Water levels are measured four times a year: pre-monsoon (April/May), post-monsoon (November), and two interim seasonal readings, to calculate seasonal aquifer recharge and depletion trends.

Sentence 6 of 17

English Original

What began as a strategy to improve food security eventually yielded a concentrated rice-wheat cropping system, in which assured procurement, subsidised electricity and access to groundwater made high-yield varieties, intensive irrigation and fertilizer use and mechanisation less risky than alternative modes of cultivation.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

What began as a strategy to improve food security

A government plan that originally started to ensure the nation had enough food to feed its population

Part 2

eventually a concentrated rice-wheat cropping system,

ultimately produced an agricultural pattern overwhelmingly focused on repeatedly growing only paddy and wheat,

Part 3

in which , subsidised electricity and access to groundwater

wherein guaranteed state buying at fixed prices, free or cheap power, and easy availability of well water

Part 4

made , intensive irrigation and fertilizer use and mechanisation

rendered high-producing seed varieties, heavy watering, heavy chemical fertilizers, and modern tractor machinery

Part 5

less risky than alternative modes of .

much safer financially compared to growing other diverse crops like pulses, oilseeds, or vegetables.

Context and Background

The Green Revolution and Rice-Wheat Monoculture

During the Green Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, India introduced High-Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of wheat and rice to achieve national food self-sufficiency. To encourage widespread adoption, states like Punjab received guaranteed procurement under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime, subsidized fertilizers, and free agricultural power, cementing an intensive rice-wheat cycle.

Sentence 7 of 17

English Original

In the same vein, the reluctance of the region’s farmers to pursue other crops due to uncertainties in storage options, prices, processing infrastructure, and supply chains has gone relatively unaddressed.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Similarly and in a connected way,

Part 2

the of the region’s farmers to pursue other crops

the hesitation and unwillingness of local farmers in Punjab to switch to alternative crops like pulses, maize, or oilseeds

Part 3

due to uncertainties in storage options, prices, processing , and

because of unpredictable market prices, lack of cold storages, insufficient factories to process crops, and weak transport networks

Part 4

has gone relatively .

has remained mostly ignored and unresolved by policymakers.

Context and Background

Crop Diversification Challenges in Punjab

Multiple government panels, including the Johl Committee (1986 and 2002), recommended shifting at least 20% of Punjab’s paddy area to pulses, oilseeds, and maize. However, farmers hesitate to diversify because crops other than wheat and paddy lack assured Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement, cold storage facilities, and organized food-processing supply chains.

Sentence 8 of 17

English Original

But as the water crisis persists, the wealth gap among farmers is also widening.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

But as the water crisis ,

However, as the severe shortage of underground water continues unresolved,

Part 2

the among farmers is also widening.

the economic divide between rich and poor farmers is growing larger as well.

Sentence 9 of 17

English Original

A recent study in the Economic and Political Weekly noted that while farmers with marginal landholdings use water more efficiently, wealthier farmers are better equipped to access lower water tables as well as draw higher volumes.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

A recent study in the noted that

A newly published research paper in the respected academic journal Economic and Political Weekly observed that

Part 2

while farmers with use water more ,

even though poor farmers owning tiny plots of land utilize groundwater far more prudently and without waste,

Part 3

wealthier farmers are better equipped to access lower

richer landowners possess the money and machinery to drill much deeper into declining groundwater reserves

Part 4

as well as draw higher volumes.

and simultaneously extract vastly larger quantities of water.

Context and Background

Landholding Classification and Groundwater Disparity in India

In Indian agricultural economics, landholdings are classified into Marginal (below 1 hectare), Small (1-2 hectares), Semi-Medium (2-4 hectares), Medium (4-10 hectares), and Large (above 10 hectares). Studies in the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) show that while marginal farmers achieve higher crop yield per unit of water consumed, wealthy large farmers monopolize deep aquifers by installing high-power submersible pumps that cost several lakh rupees.

Sentence 10 of 17

English Original

So, as the water table drops, those unable to afford the requisite tube wells are forced to buy water, transferring their wealth to larger landowners and creating unregulated dependencies.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

So, as the water table drops,

Consequently, as the depth of underground water sinks lower and lower,

Part 2

those unable to afford the

small farmers who lack the funds to install expensive, deep-drilled motor wells

Part 3

are forced to buy water,

have no choice but to purchase irrigation water from neighbouring fields,

Part 4

transferring their wealth to larger

paying their hard-earned income and savings directly to richer, large-scale farmers

Part 5

and creating .

and becoming dangerously reliant on private individuals without any government oversight or fair pricing rules.

Context and Background

Informal Water Markets in Rural Punjab

As deep centrifugal pumps become obsolete due to falling water tables below 30-40 metres, farmers must install submersible pumps costing over ₹2 to ₹3 lakh. Marginal farmers unable to afford this capital are forced into informal water markets, paying wealthy pump-owners up to ₹100-₹150 per hour of water supply, draining their agricultural margins.

Sentence 11 of 17

English Original

A different study by two members of the same team, published in Discover Sustainability, reported that in Sangrur and Barnala, larger farms earned higher returns but recorded lower groundwater productivity vis-à-vis paddy, than smaller farms.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

A different study by two members of the same team,

Another research investigation conducted by two researchers from the same academic group,

Part 2

published in ,

which appeared in the environmental journal Discover Sustainability,

Part 3

reported that in ,

showed that in the intensively farmed Punjab districts of Sangrur and Barnala,

Part 4

larger farms earned higher

big agricultural holdings made greater overall monetary profits

Part 5

but recorded lower paddy, than smaller farms.

but produced less rice per litre of groundwater consumed when compared with small-scale farms.

Context and Background

Groundwater Crisis in Malwa: Sangrur and Barnala

Sangrur and Barnala in Punjab’s Malwa region are among the most severely water-stressed districts in India, with extraction rates exceeding 200% in certain pockets. Almost all irrigation relies on deep submersible borewells tapping aquifers at depths exceeding 200 to 300 feet, accelerating aquifer exhaustion.

Sentence 12 of 17

English Original

Effectively, groundwater depletion raises the capital required for irrigation, which systematically privileges those farmers with better access to finance.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Effectively, groundwater

In practical terms, the continuous falling of underground water levels

Part 2

raises the required for irrigation,

drastically increases the amount of money needed to dig deeper wells and buy powerful motors,

Part 3

which systematically those farmers with better access to finance.

which unfairly and continuously advantages wealthy cultivators who can easily secure bank loans or personal savings.

Sentence 13 of 17

English Original

State governments continue to attempt to address the demand pressure in multiple ways even as the scale continues to overwhelm the resulting gains in efficiency.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

State governments continue to attempt to address the

Provincial authorities keep trying to tackle the enormous pressure of water usage from agriculture

Part 2

in multiple ways

through a variety of different policies, subsidies, and conservation techniques

Part 3

even as the scale continues to the resulting gains in .

even though the vast sheer volume of water being drawn continues to completely wipe out any modest water-saving improvements.

Sentence 14 of 17

English Original

At this juncture, together with those efforts, the State should also endeavour to protect farmers’ incomes and access to irrigation while rendering the cost of additional extraction prohibitive.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

At this , together with those efforts,

At this crucial point in time, alongside existing conservation programs,

Part 2

the State should also

the government must earnestly strive and make every policy attempt

Part 3

to protect farmers’ incomes and access to irrigation

to safeguard the financial earnings of agricultural families and secure their rightful supply of water for farming

Part 4

while rendering the cost of additional extraction .

while making excessive, beyond-limit pumping of underground water far too expensive to afford.

Sentence 15 of 17

English Original

The ‘Pani Bachao, Paisa Kamao’ scheme, in which farmers are entitled to cash for every unused kilowatt-hour (for pumping) under a threshold, is already promising, albeit with low enrolment.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The ‘’ scheme,

The Punjab state policy titled ‘Save Water, Earn Money’,

Part 2

in which farmers are to cash

under which agriculturalists receive direct cash rewards

Part 3

for every unused (for pumping) under a ,

for each unit of electricity they save below an assigned seasonal power limit for their water pumps,

Part 4

is already promising,

shows great positive potential and good early results,

Part 5

with low .

even though only a small percentage of farmers have officially registered for it so far.

Context and Background

The

Launched in 2018 by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) with the World Bank and J-PAL, the ‘Pani Bachao, Paisa Kamao’ scheme provides direct benefit transfers (DBT) to farmers. Participating farmers get a fixed monthly electricity quota based on feeder load; consuming less electricity than this limit earns them ₹4 per unused kilowatt-hour (kWh), incentivizing water conservation while preserving free power protections.

Sentence 16 of 17

English Original

Broadly, the State should use part of the electricity subsidy bill to directly support smallholder farmers, help collectivise irrigation infrastructure, and/or support farmers’ transition to other crops.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Broadly, the State should use

Taking a wide perspective, the state government ought to redirect

Part 2

part of the electricity bill

a portion of the massive funds currently spent on supplying free agricultural power

Part 3

to directly support farmers,

to provide direct cash and welfare assistance straight to small and marginal cultivators,

Part 4

help irrigation infrastructure,

assist groups of farmers in jointly setting up and sharing community-owned watering systems and solar pumps,

Part 5

and/or support farmers’ to other crops.

and facilitate the shift of growers towards less water-intensive crops like pulses, maize, and oilseeds.

Context and Background

Power Subsidy Burden and Agricultural Reform in Punjab

The Punjab government spends approximately ₹9,000 to ₹10,000 crore annually on providing free, unmetered electricity to agricultural tubewells. Agricultural economists advocate unbundling this universal power subsidy into targeted direct income transfers and capital grants for shared community drip-irrigation infrastructure to deter wasteful over-pumping.

Sentence 17 of 17

English Original

When benefits follow the cultivator, including tenants, rather than owners of the land or pumps, welfare can subsidise access to water rather than groundwater extraction.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

When benefits follow the , including ,

When government aid and financial subsidies are given directly to whoever actually works the fields, including tenant farmers,

Part 2

rather than owners of the land or pumps,

instead of rewarding only the legal owners of real estate or tubewell machinery,

Part 3

welfare can access to water

public assistance can make sure everyone gets a fair and affordable supply of water for basic farming

Part 4

rather than groundwater .

instead of encouraging unlimited and destructive pumping of disappearing subterranean water.

Context and Background

Tenant Farmers and Subsidies in Punjab

In Punjab, an estimated 20% to 30% of farmland is cultivated by informal tenant farmers or sharecroppers without written lease contracts. Because electricity subsidies and direct farm support are linked to land and tubewell ownership titles rather than actual tilling, tenant farmers bear the full cost of groundwater depletion while missing out on state welfare transfers.

Sentence 1 of 17

Sentences Breakdown

Editorial Summary

5-Point Summary

1 Punjab is experiencing an acute groundwater crisis, with extraction reaching an alarming 152% and 72% of assessed blocks falling in the critical red zone.
2 Decades of state-supported incentives for water-intensive rice and wheat cultivation have locked farmers into an unsustainable monoculture.
3 Deepening groundwater tables widen economic inequality, as wealthy farmers sink deep tube wells while marginal farmers are pushed into buying costly water.
4 Studies demonstrate that large farms consume water with lower productivity than small farms, worsening systemic disadvantages for financially weaker cultivators.
5 The government must redirect electricity subsidies toward direct income support, collective irrigation, and crop diversification, ensuring welfare benefits reach actual tillers and tenant farmers.

Tone of the Editorial

Analytical

Why this tone?

The editorial adopts an analytical tone as it systematically assesses empirical findings from groundwater assessments and academic studies. It examines the structural economic incentives driving over-extraction, evaluates the regressive impact on smallholder farmers, and proposes targeted policy reforms to align agricultural welfare with resource sustainability.

Sentence 1 of 17

That Punjab is over-extracting groundwater is not news.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

That Punjab is over-extracting groundwater

The fact that the state of Punjab is pumping out more underground water than can be replaced naturally

Part 2

is not news.

is already well known to everyone and comes as no surprise.

Sentence 2 of 17

According to the [2025-26 Dynamic Groundwater Assessment], its [groundwater extraction rate was 152%].

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

According to the [2025-26 Dynamic Groundwater Assessment],

Based on the official 2025-26 government report evaluating underground water supplies,

Part 2

its [groundwater extraction rate was 152%].

Punjab was pumping out 152 litres of underground water for every 100 litres recharged by rainfall and rivers.

Sentence 3 of 17

While interventions reduced the number of ‘over-exploited’ blocks by five over the last two assessments, 72% of its 153 blocks are in the ‘red zone’, the highest among States.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

While interventions reduced the number of ‘over-exploited’ blocks by five

Although specific government measures succeeded in lowering the count of severely depleted administrative blocks by five

Part 2

over the last two assessments,

during the course of the previous two official survey cycles,

Part 3

72% of its 153 blocks are in the ‘red zone’,

an overwhelming 72 percent of Punjab’s 153 sub-districts remain categorized in the most dangerously depleted zone,

Part 4

the highest among States.

representing the largest proportion of critically over-used groundwater units among all Indian states.

Sentence 4 of 17

The principal consumer is irrigation for rice and wheat, amounting to nearly 25 billion cubic metres a year in the latest estimate.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The principal consumer

The primary and largest user of this pumped water

Part 2

is irrigation for rice and wheat,

is watering agricultural fields for paddy and wheat crops,

Part 3

amounting to nearly 25 billion cubic metres a year

reaching an enormous total of almost 25 billion cubic metres annually

Part 4

in the latest estimate.

according to the most recently published data calculation.

Sentence 5 of 17

Data also show that the fraction of observation wells with water below 40 metres in the post-monsoon period grew by two percentage points between 2022 and 2025.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Data also show that

Government records and statistical figures additionally reveal that

Part 2

the fraction of observation wells with water below 40 metres in the post-monsoon period

the proportion of monitoring wells where groundwater sank deeper than 40 metres even after the rainy season

Part 3

grew by two percentage points

increased by two percentage points

Part 4

between 2022 and 2025.

over the three-year timeframe from 2022 to 2025.

Sentence 6 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

What began as a strategy to improve food security

A government plan that originally started to ensure the nation had enough food to feed its population

Part 2

eventually yielded a concentrated rice-wheat cropping system,

ultimately produced an agricultural pattern overwhelmingly focused on repeatedly growing only paddy and wheat,

Part 3

in which assured procurement, subsidised electricity and access to groundwater

wherein guaranteed state buying at fixed prices, free or cheap power, and easy availability of well water

Part 4

made high-yield varieties, intensive irrigation and fertilizer use and mechanisation

rendered high-producing seed varieties, heavy watering, heavy chemical fertilizers, and modern tractor machinery

Part 5

less risky than alternative modes of cultivation.

much safer financially compared to growing other diverse crops like pulses, oilseeds, or vegetables.

Sentence 7 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In the same vein,

Similarly and in a connected way,

Part 2

the reluctance of the region’s farmers to pursue other crops

the hesitation and unwillingness of local farmers in Punjab to switch to alternative crops like pulses, maize, or oilseeds

Part 3

due to uncertainties in storage options, prices, processing infrastructure, and supply chains

because of unpredictable market prices, lack of cold storages, insufficient factories to process crops, and weak transport networks

Part 4

has gone relatively unaddressed.

has remained mostly ignored and unresolved by policymakers.

Sentence 8 of 17

But as the water crisis persists, the wealth gap among farmers is also widening.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

But as the water crisis persists,

However, as the severe shortage of underground water continues unresolved,

Part 2

the wealth gap among farmers is also widening.

the economic divide between rich and poor farmers is growing larger as well.

Sentence 9 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

A recent study in the Economic and Political Weekly noted that

A newly published research paper in the respected academic journal Economic and Political Weekly observed that

Part 2

while farmers with marginal landholdings use water more efficiently,

even though poor farmers owning tiny plots of land utilize groundwater far more prudently and without waste,

Part 3

wealthier farmers are better equipped to access lower water tables

richer landowners possess the money and machinery to drill much deeper into declining groundwater reserves

Part 4

as well as draw higher volumes.

and simultaneously extract vastly larger quantities of water.

Sentence 10 of 17

So, as the water table drops, those unable to afford the requisite tube wells are forced to buy water, transferring their wealth to larger landowners and creating unregulated dependencies.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

So, as the water table drops,

Consequently, as the depth of underground water sinks lower and lower,

Part 2

those unable to afford the requisite tube wells

small farmers who lack the funds to install expensive, deep-drilled motor wells

Part 3

are forced to buy water,

have no choice but to purchase irrigation water from neighbouring fields,

Part 4

transferring their wealth to larger landowners

paying their hard-earned income and savings directly to richer, large-scale farmers

Part 5

and creating unregulated dependencies.

and becoming dangerously reliant on private individuals without any government oversight or fair pricing rules.

Sentence 11 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

A different study by two members of the same team,

Another research investigation conducted by two researchers from the same academic group,

Part 2

published in Discover Sustainability,

which appeared in the environmental journal Discover Sustainability,

Part 3

reported that in Sangrur and Barnala,

showed that in the intensively farmed Punjab districts of Sangrur and Barnala,

Part 4

larger farms earned higher returns

big agricultural holdings made greater overall monetary profits

Part 5

but recorded lower groundwater productivity vis-à-vis paddy, than smaller farms.

but produced less rice per litre of groundwater consumed when compared with small-scale farms.

Sentence 12 of 17

Effectively, groundwater depletion raises the capital required for irrigation, which systematically privileges those farmers with better access to finance.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Effectively, groundwater depletion

In practical terms, the continuous falling of underground water levels

Part 2

raises the capital required for irrigation,

drastically increases the amount of money needed to dig deeper wells and buy powerful motors,

Part 3

which systematically privileges those farmers with better access to finance.

which unfairly and continuously advantages wealthy cultivators who can easily secure bank loans or personal savings.

Sentence 13 of 17

State governments continue to attempt to address the demand pressure in multiple ways even as the scale continues to overwhelm the resulting gains in efficiency.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

State governments continue to attempt to address the demand pressure

Provincial authorities keep trying to tackle the enormous pressure of water usage from agriculture

Part 2

in multiple ways

through a variety of different policies, subsidies, and conservation techniques

Part 3

even as the scale continues to overwhelm the resulting gains in efficiency.

even though the vast sheer volume of water being drawn continues to completely wipe out any modest water-saving improvements.

Sentence 14 of 17

At this juncture, together with those efforts, the State should also endeavour to protect farmers’ incomes and access to irrigation while rendering the cost of additional extraction prohibitive.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

At this juncture, together with those efforts,

At this crucial point in time, alongside existing conservation programs,

Part 2

the State should also endeavour

the government must earnestly strive and make every policy attempt

Part 3

to protect farmers’ incomes and access to irrigation

to safeguard the financial earnings of agricultural families and secure their rightful supply of water for farming

Part 4

while rendering the cost of additional extraction prohibitive.

while making excessive, beyond-limit pumping of underground water far too expensive to afford.

Sentence 15 of 17

The ‘Pani Bachao, Paisa Kamao’ scheme, in which farmers are entitled to cash for every unused kilowatt-hour (for pumping) under a threshold, is already promising, albeit with low enrolment.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The ‘Pani Bachao, Paisa Kamao’ scheme,

The Punjab state policy titled ‘Save Water, Earn Money’,

Part 2

in which farmers are entitled to cash

under which agriculturalists receive direct cash rewards

Part 3

for every unused kilowatt-hour (for pumping) under a threshold,

for each unit of electricity they save below an assigned seasonal power limit for their water pumps,

Part 4

is already promising,

shows great positive potential and good early results,

Part 5

albeit with low enrolment.

even though only a small percentage of farmers have officially registered for it so far.

Sentence 16 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Broadly, the State should use

Taking a wide perspective, the state government ought to redirect

Part 2

part of the electricity subsidy bill

a portion of the massive funds currently spent on supplying free agricultural power

Part 3

to directly support smallholder farmers,

to provide direct cash and welfare assistance straight to small and marginal cultivators,

Part 4

help collectivise irrigation infrastructure,

assist groups of farmers in jointly setting up and sharing community-owned watering systems and solar pumps,

Part 5

and/or support farmers’ transition to other crops.

and facilitate the shift of growers towards less water-intensive crops like pulses, maize, and oilseeds.

Sentence 17 of 17

When benefits follow the cultivator, including tenants, rather than owners of the land or pumps, welfare can subsidise access to water rather than groundwater extraction.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

When benefits follow the cultivator, including tenants,

When government aid and financial subsidies are given directly to whoever actually works the fields, including tenant farmers,

Part 2

rather than owners of the land or pumps,

instead of rewarding only the legal owners of real estate or tubewell machinery,

Part 3

welfare can subsidise access to water

public assistance can make sure everyone gets a fair and affordable supply of water for basic farming

Part 4

rather than groundwater extraction.

instead of encouraging unlimited and destructive pumping of disappearing subterranean water.

Reading Comprehension

Practice questions based on this editorial

Reading Comprehension - Groundwater Exploitation in Punjab

Practice reading comprehension questions based on the editorial about groundwater over-extraction, socio-economic disparities, and agricultural water reforms in Punjab.

7 Questions Passing: 50%

Explore by Category

Editorial Categories

Politics and Governance 8 Economy 12 International Relations 11 Science and Technology 8 Environment 8 Society 0 Security 1 Infrastructure and Energy 2 Media and Communication 1 Miscellaneous 10

Vocabulary Feeds

Challenging Vocabulary 309 Idioms and Phrases 239 Phrasal Verbs 95

About Scoreclever

Your Complete Learning Ecosystem

Scoreclever helps you master Current Affairs, English Language, and General Awareness for all Banking, SSC, Railway, and Defence exams. The Scoreclever app has innovative learning techniques that make memorization and revision effortless.

Explore Scoreclever

Anything wrong in this content?

Give feedback

Request a feature?

Contact support

Looking to contribute?

Contact our team