India’s rise as the world’s largest rice producer has been hailed as a triumph of farm resilience and policy support. Yet beneath record harvests and booming exports lies a growing ecological stress that threatens the sustainability of this success—rapid groundwater depletion in the country’s rice heartlands.
India’s rice milestone and export surge
India recently overtook China to become the world’s largest producer of rice, while also emerging as the biggest exporter. Rice shipments have crossed 20 million metric tonnes in the latest fiscal year, nearly double the volumes exported a decade ago. This expansion has reinforced India’s role in global food markets and strengthened farm incomes in key producing regions.
However, production has increasingly concentrated in a few northwestern States, especially Punjab and Haryana, where ecological limits are now becoming starkly visible.
Groundwater stress in the rice heartland
Rice cultivation in Punjab and Haryana depends overwhelmingly on groundwater rather than canals or surface irrigation. A decade ago, water could be accessed at depths of around 30 feet. Today, farmers report drilling borewells between 80 and 200 feet, sharply raising costs and energy use.
Government data and research by Punjab Agricultural University confirm that groundwater extraction has accelerated, particularly in the past five years. Large areas in both States are now officially classified as “over-exploited” or “critical”.
The subsidy structure driving overuse
At the heart of the problem lies India’s agricultural incentive system. Rice enjoys a steadily rising Minimum Support Price (MSP), which has increased by roughly 70% over the past decade. In parallel, heavy electricity subsidies make pumping groundwater artificially cheap.
Together, these policies encourage farmers to continue growing water-intensive paddy even in water-scarce regions. As analysts at the International Food Policy Research Institute have noted, India is effectively subsidising the extraction of groundwater in one of the world’s most water-stressed countries.
Rice and the water footprint challenge
Producing a single kilogram of rice in India consumes about 3,000–4,000 litres of water—20–60% higher than the global average. The scale of production magnifies this impact. Punjab and Haryana alone extract between 35% and 57% more groundwater annually than their aquifers naturally recharge.
As borewells deepen, farmers face rising debt for longer pipes, stronger pumps, and higher maintenance costs, making livelihoods more fragile despite assured prices.
Why monsoons no longer offer security
Traditionally, good monsoons cushioned water stress. But even after two consecutive strong monsoon years, groundwater levels have continued to fall. The dependence on pumping has become structural rather than seasonal, leaving farmers highly vulnerable if rainfall weakens in the future.
This trend also raises inter-generational concerns, as aquifers recharge slowly and may not recover even if cultivation patterns change later.
Early policy signals for diversification
There are tentative efforts to break the rice–groundwater cycle. Haryana has introduced a subsidy of ₹17,500 per hectare to encourage farmers to shift to less water-intensive crops such as millets. However, the incentive currently applies for only one growing season, limiting its attractiveness compared to assured rice procurement.
Experts argue that durable change will require coordinated reforms—revisiting MSP policy, rationalising power subsidies, and expanding markets and procurement for alternative crops.
What to note for Prelims?
- India is the world’s largest rice producer and exporter.
- Punjab and Haryana are major rice-growing States dependent on groundwater.
- Large areas classified as “over-exploited” or “critical” for groundwater.
- Rice has a very high water footprint (3,000–4,000 litres/kg).
What to note for Mains?
- Link between MSP, power subsidies, and ecological stress.
- Groundwater depletion as a challenge to food security sustainability.
- Limits of production-centric agricultural policy.
- Need for crop diversification and incentive realignment.
