population and water problem in indian punjabwaterandsociety.net/slides/jacques_veron_2014.pdfthe...

Population and The Water Problemin Indian Punjab

Jacques Véron

May, 13, 2014

Many thanks to Rajesh Vashishtfor his help and cooperation

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Population and Water:Some general issues

Water scarcity (at a global and local scale) Quantity and quality of water Agriculture and irrigation (increasing yields) Potential conflicts about water (i.e. Israel and Palestine) Pollution of rivers and oceans (pesticide, industrial activities,

etc.) Floods and other natural disasters related to water

(landslide, etc.) Drinking water and sanitation Health and water

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World water scarcity

Around 1.2 billion people (almost one‐fifth of the world's population) live in areas of physical scarcity (500 million people are approaching this situation.

Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and, although there is no global water scarcity as such, an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water.

Water scarcity is both a natural and a human‐made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for seven billion people but it is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed.

Sources: Human Development Report 2006. UNDP, 2006Coping with water scarcity. Challenge of the twenty-first century. UN-Water, FAO, 2007Water scarcity and the MDGs

http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/geography/population/distribution_density/revision/1/5

Uneven world population distribution

Health and water: a complex relationship

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Waterborne diseases: infections carried by water, depending on its quality: choléra.

Water‐washed diseases: linked to scarcity of water; prevalencedecreases when safe water is available: typhus, diarrheas

Water‐based diseases: pathogen agent has an aquatic phase or lives in water (Guinea worm, bilharziozis)

Water‐related diseases: malaria (larvae of Anophelesmosquitoes found in fresh‐ or salt‐water marshes, edges of streams and rivers, and small, temporary rain pools.. )

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases

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Some aspects of water issues in India

Monsoon in East India: more than 2 million people displaced.

Floods in India in 2012

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2013 : million of Indians threatenedby an historical drought in the west of the country

After two weak monsoons: Lack of drinking water Death of cattle Dieback of crops

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Source.

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India: the Water Needs

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Water in India: supply and increasing demand

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India is the largest user of groundwater in the world.

More than 60% of irrigated agriculture and 85% of drinking water supplies are dependent on groundwater.

India, largest user of groundwater

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Punjab : land of five rivers

The name of Punjab derives from two Persian words : panj (five), aab (water)

Punjab has in fact six rivers. But, Indus the ancients seem to have disregarded it in giving the country its present name.

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The Punjab at the beginning of the 20th century

Punjab Province in 1909

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The Punjab, historical granary of India

Mohinder Singh, History and Culture of Panjab, 1988

« The Bristish […] had done much to make the Punjab the garanryof India. They had dug canals and established the canal colonies.In fact the canals for irrigation were among the very first thingsthey had planned. »

La population comme une des causes des changements environnementaux.

The Indian Punjab

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Independence of India in 1947and creation of Pakistan: Punjab is shared

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Demographic characteristicsof Punjab compared to India

Punjab IndiaPopulation 27. 7 1 210. 19 million

Population Growth 1.3 1.64 %Density of population 550 382 persons per square kilometer

Sex ratio (population 0‐6) 118 109 number of boys 0 to 6 for 100 girls 0 to 6

The population of Punjabrepresents 2,29% of IndianPopulation in 2011

Source: Census of India 2011

The canal network

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Agricultural changes

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End of the nineteenth century: Irrigation mainly protective and dependent on rain water and non perennial inundation canals

Prior to ‘Green Revolution’: Development of surface water resources by building dams and diverting the water into perennial canals

Onset of ‘Green Revolution’: Surface water resources fully harnessed, wide spread surface irrigation (major and medium): irrigation rom protective to productive

During ‘Green Revolution’: Along with High Yielding Varieties of wheat, Paddy introduced as a second major crop

Cropping Intensity: Increased from 120% (1960‐61) to 190% (20011‐12) Increased Irrigation Demand: Increased irrigation demand due to intensive

cropping met by exploiting the groundwater Groundwater Exploitation: Tubewells swelled from 192 000 (1970‐71) to

1 385 000 (2011‐12). Metamorphosis of Irrigation : From productive to Intensive

Source: Rajesh Vashisht

Areas under major crops


Cropping patterns 2011‐2012

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Shift in cropping pattern


Area, yield and production of rice in Punjab

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Assured Procurement & Low Production Risks lead to Paddy production on a large scale in Punjab

Area under paddy increased due to its higher profitability in comparison to its competing crops

The State has been contributing much to the Central Pool.

Punjab was conventionally a non‐rice producing state


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Rice and water

Implications of paddy production in Punjab

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Excessive irrigation water requirement of Paddy has resulted in over exploitation of groundwater & groundwater table in the state is continuously declining

Requirement of power for agriculture sector has increased may folds over the years


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Rainfall behaviour

Since 1998, annual rainfall are less than « normal »Source: Rajesh Vashisht

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More and more tubewells

Rising numbers of tubewells


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Different hydrogeological situations inside Punjab

A. Highest rainfall with major groundwater recharge from direct infiltration and riverbedB. Decreasing rainfall and canal seepage direct infiltration but important recharge from irrigation and seepageC. Much reduced recharge from all sourcesD. Very limited recharge except from any major regional transfer canals, but shallow water table with soil waterlogging and salinization


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An illusion of water abundance

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A political issue

All political parties want to patronise farmers Waste of electricity (tubewells switched on all the night) Electricity is free to the farmers and subsidied

All political parties want to patronise farmers

Electricity is free to the farmers and subsidied

Waste of electricity (tubewells switched on all the night)

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Concerning water issues

Water flows fastOut of 8760 hours in a year, most of the rain falls in just 100 hours in the state.

Water PollutionSurface and ground water are getting polluted as untreated effluents and waste water from domestic and industrial areas are being discharged in to water bodies.

Hydrological ImbalanceIndiscriminate exploitation of ground water in Central Zone and water loggingconditions in South‐West Zone has created a hydrological imbalance. There are chances of brackish water ingress in sweetwater aquifers there by threatening agricultural sustainability in the state.

Awareness CampaignsRaising public awareness on water issues, challenges and management.


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Policy initiatives “The Punjab Preservation of Sub Soil Water Act, 2009” Crop Diversification Programme (CDP): to reduce demand of irrigation water by

weaning away farmers from paddy to alternate less water requiring crops.

Enhanced recharge ground water Use of various recharge technologies like rainwater harvesting and construction

of recharge structures in Kandi Zone Rainwater harvesting / managing surface water runoff in Central Zone.

Efficient use of available supplies through precision land levellingResource Conservation Technology (RCT), Under Ground Pipe Line System(UPLS) & Micro Irrigation (Drip & Sprinkler) etc.

Cyclic/Conjunctive Use through augmentation canals in South‐West Zone.

Surface / Sub‐Surface drainage system, bio‐drainage & fish farmingetc. in water logged areas.

Initiatives for sustainable developmentof water resources


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The Punjab preservation of sub‐soil water Act, 2009

No sowing of nursery before 1st May

Nursery not to be transplanted before a date to be notified by the State.

Notified date 10th June, 2009

In case of violation, nursery or transplanted paddy to be destroyed at the expenses of the farmer.

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A crop diversification programme


Land leveling


Bed planting


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The water pollution

Agriculture:Use of pesticide

Ludhiana: industrial pollution Bicycle industry Steel Wool Tee‐shirts, sweatshirts

Chemical pollution (colors)

IndustryAffluence Pollution of groundwater

[heavy metals: arsenic, cobalt, nickel,..]

Concern about health (cancer)

Kolkata/New Delhi: With reports of groundwater level going down in Punjab and Haryana, considered the rice bowl of India, scientists and analysts suggest its cultivation be shifted to eastern states which have better water resources.

They say Punjab and Haryana should focus on basmati rice, which is largely exported, and the eastern states should produce non‐basmati varieties for meeting the domestic demand.

Source: Sutanuka Ghosal & Rituraj Tiwari, ET Bureau Oct 10, 2012

Shift rice production from Punjab to eastern states: Experts

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Source : http://www.mapsofindia.com/top-ten/india-crops/rice.html

The productionof rice in India

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Thank you

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