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Abstract
Groundwater depletion has emerged as the major constraint in sustaining growth in agriculturally
advanced state of Punjab. The study unravels unsustainable groundwater use in crop production using
unit-level cost of cultivation survey data. The deterioration in groundwater resources is the outcome of
technology and policy led shift in cropping pattern (towards paddy), irrigation source (towards
groundwater) and energy source (towards electricity) in Punjab. Presently, total annual groundwater draft
in the state is 72 per cent higher than the sustainable limit of 20 BCM. Agriculture being the largest user
of groundwater draft bears the prime responsibility in averting groundwater crisis. Paddy emerged as the
most water-guzzling crop consuming 45 to 88 per cent higher groundwater than other crops.
Consequently, paddy had highest groundwater footprints (cum/kg) and lowest groundwater productivity
(Rs./cum). Further, there exists large scale inefficiency in groundwater use for paddy cultivation. The
optimum level of groundwater use for paddy cultivation should be about 52 per cent less than the present
level of 1.2 ha-metre. Interestingly, large farmers emerged as more efficient user of groundwater resources
and productive as compared to farmers with smaller land holdings. The strategy to ensure sustainability
must include both groundwater supply augmentation and demand reduction measures with greater
emphasis on improving water use efficiency and curtailing non-productive use of groundwater resources.