Question

What factors are responsible for the highest groundwater development in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu?

Answer 1

The states of Punjab, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu have agriculture supported mainly by irrigated water and the main source for it is underground water. These reasons were the target regions for the green revolution. All the green revolution crops are water-intensive, hence the demand for water in these states is very high. These regions have soft alluvial soil which allows the rainwater to seep down and recharge the underground water table. This area is easy to be dug, hence extraction of underground water is the easiest source of water.

It has also been found that irrigated lands have higher agricultural productivity than unirrigated land. Further, the high-yielding varieties of crops need regular moisture supply, which is made possible only by a developed irrigation system. In Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, more than 85 percent of their net sown area is under irrigation. Wheat and rice are grown mainly with the help of irrigation in these states. Of the total net irrigated area 76.1 percent in Punjab and 51.3 percent in Haryana are irrigated through wells and tube wells. This shows that these states utilize a large proportion of their groundwater potential which has resulted in groundwater depletion in these states. The over-use of groundwater resources has led to a decline in groundwater tables in these states.