Introduction

Rice production has expanded sharply due to assured procurement, rising subsidies, and export demand. However, groundwater-dependent irrigation has become the dominant mode in northern India. Despite strong monsoons in recent years, extraction rates exceed natural recharge. Government classification of aquifers as “over-exploited” or “critical” signals a structural imbalance between agricultural policy and water resource sustainability.

Why in the News

India overtook China to become the world’s largest rice producer in 2023, exporting nearly double the quantity compared to the past decade and producing over 140 million tonnes of rice. While this achievement was politically and economically celebrated, it has intensified groundwater extraction in Punjab and Haryana. Borewell depths have increased from 30-40 feet to 80-200 feet, indicating rapid aquifer depletion. Rice cultivation in India consumes 3,000-4,000 litres of water per kg, 20-60% higher than the global average, turning agricultural success into a water sustainability concern of national scale.

How did India become the world’s largest rice producer?

1. Production Expansion: Annual rice output exceeded 140 million tonnes, surpassing China in 2023.
2. Export Growth: Rice exports nearly doubled in the past decade due to global demand and domestic surplus.
3. Policy Support: Minimum Support Price (MSP) assurance ensured farmer preference for rice cultivation.

Why is rice cultivation intensifying groundwater stress?

1. High Water Requirement: Producing one kilogram of rice requires 3,000-4,000 litres of water, exceeding global norms by 20-60%.
2. Groundwater Dependence: Punjab and Haryana rice farmers primarily rely on borewell irrigation.
3. Aquifer Depletion: Groundwater levels declined from 30-40 feet to 80-200 feet, indicating unsustainable extraction.

What role do subsidies play in water over-extraction?

1. Electricity Subsidies: Free or low-cost power encourages excessive pumping of groundwater.
2. Price Incentives: Rice prices increased by ~70% over the past decade, reinforcing crop preference.
3. Input Distortion: Subsidies discourage transition to less water-intensive crops.

Why are Punjab and Haryana particularly vulnerable?

1. Irrigation Pattern: Dominant reliance on groundwater over surface irrigation systems.
2. Weak Monsoon Resilience: Despite strong rainfall, extraction continues beyond recharge capacity.
3. Critical Classification: Aquifers in both states fall under “over-exploited” or “critical” categories.

How does groundwater stress threaten food security?

1. Farmer Costs: Deeper borewells require higher capital and energy inputs.
2. Production Risk: Aquifer depletion increases vulnerability to weak monsoons.
3. Systemic Stress: India produces more rice than domestic requirements, amplifying water stress without proportional food security gains.

What corrective signals are emerging?

1. Crop Diversification Incentives: Haryana introduced ₹17,500 per hectare subsidy for switching to less water-intensive crops.
2. Policy Limitation: Incentives are seasonal and lack long-term assurance.
3. Institutional Recognition: Government data acknowledges unsustainable groundwater extraction trends.

Way Forward

1. Crop Diversification
   1. Shift Incentivisation: Expands cultivation of less water-intensive crops such as pulses and oilseeds through multi-year income assurance.
   2. Procurement Reform: Aligns MSP and assured procurement with water-efficient cropping patterns.
2. Rationalisation of Subsidies
   1. Power Pricing: Reduces indiscriminate groundwater pumping by restructuring free electricity for agriculture.
   2. Input Targeting: Replaces universal subsidies with direct income support decoupled from water use.
3. Water-Efficient Irrigation
   1. Micro-Irrigation Expansion: Enhances adoption of drip and sprinkler systems to improve water productivity.
   2. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD): Reduces water use in paddy cultivation without yield loss.
4. Groundwater Governance
   1. Aquifer Management: Strengthens block-level monitoring and annual recharge-extraction audits.
   2. Regulatory Enforcement: Restricts borewell depth expansion in over-exploited zones.
5. Export Rationalisation
   1. Water Footprint Accounting: Integrates virtual water costs into export policy decisions.
   2. Surplus Management: Aligns export volumes with regional water availability.

Conclusion

India’s rise as the world’s largest rice producer reflects policy certainty, farmer responsiveness, and export competitiveness. However, the same policy framework has accelerated groundwater depletion in key agrarian states. Without reorienting incentives toward water-efficient agriculture, food security gains risk becoming ecologically unsustainable. Long-term agricultural resilience requires aligning production, procurement, and irrigation policy with groundwater realities rather than output maximisation alone.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2020] What are the major factors responsible for making the rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success, how has this system become a bane in India?

Linkage: This question directly links to MSP-led rice expansion, groundwater-intensive irrigation, and subsidy-driven cropping patterns, as highlighted in India’s rise as the world’s largest rice producer.

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