Will Punjab authorities prioritize environmental protection for lasting welfare?

By Bharat Dogra, Jagmohan Singh* 

Punjab faces a severe environmental crisis, deeply affecting even its remote villages. To secure the long-term welfare of its people, Punjab must prioritize environmental protection and regeneration. However, this vision of environmental care should be rooted in a community-centered approach that aligns with sustainable livelihoods, rather than an elitist interpretation of environmentalism. 

By embracing a pro-people perspective, environmental protection can draw on the rich cultural and ethical heritage of Punjab, from the wisdom of the great gurus to the legacy of freedom fighters. This social awakening—centered on values of justice, equality, and harmony—has the potential to channel societal energies into constructive, creative pursuits, counteracting the frustration, aimlessness, and substance abuse that currently plague many communities.

While environmental degradation has impacted regions globally, the crisis in Punjab is especially severe due to its pioneering role in the Green Revolution. This initiative relied on monoculture farming and extensive chemical inputs, which have left Punjab’s soil, water, and public health significantly compromised. 

Beyond the typical patterns of pollution seen across India, Punjab faces further challenges with compounded air pollution from stubble burning, critically depleted and contaminated groundwater, and degraded soil health due to excessive chemical and machinery use. Biodiversity has suffered tremendously, affecting not only traditional crops but also essential soil organisms and pollinators like bees and earthworms.

A 2007 report by the Punjab State Council for Science & Technology warned that intensified agriculture had degraded Punjab’s agroecosystem, noting a sharp drop in soil fertility, groundwater depletion, and widespread pollution. The environmental degradation extends to Punjab’s air, water, and soil. The Punjab Agriculture University’s analysis found drastic nutrient depletion, with soil samples indicating a sharp rise in phosphorus deficiency from 45% in the early 1980s to over 70% by 2001. Extensive chemical fertilizer use, especially of nitrogenous types, has compromised soil health, while stubble burning further harms the soil and exacerbates air pollution.

Groundwater depletion is alarmingly high. According to a 2022 assessment, Punjab is extracting 166% of its sustainable groundwater resources, and 76% of blocks are overexploited. The state’s agricultural water demands for crops like rice require unsustainable groundwater pumping, worsening water scarcity. This crisis was serious even in 2007, when all blocks in central districts like Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Amritsar were found overexploited, leading to annual water table declines of 55 cm statewide and as much as 75 cm in central regions.

Rivers like Sutlej and Ghaggar are repositories for toxins that enter the food chain and impact public health

This water crisis also includes pollution. Heavy agrochemical use has contaminated groundwater, while rivers like the Sutlej and Ghaggar are repositories for toxins that enter the food chain and impact public health, contributing to cancer rates in certain areas. Studies have revealed high levels of pollutants, including heavy metals, in rivers and groundwater sources. The contamination of water by industrial effluents is equally alarming; recent reports from the Majha region highlight the presence of arsenic, uranium, and nitrate in groundwater.

Punjab’s loss of biodiversity over the past 50 years is perhaps unprecedented. With monoculture farming replacing diverse traditional crops, many locally adapted crop varieties have been lost, alongside critical agricultural knowledge. Wildlife, especially pollinating birds and insects, has declined dramatically. The once-thriving village ponds—essential for groundwater recharge and ecological balance—have largely vanished due to encroachment and pollution, contributing further to Punjab’s water scarcity.

This environmental decline is unsustainable, and any effective plan for Punjab’s future must center on ecological restoration. Such an approach should integrate sustainable livelihoods with environment-focused development, prioritizing biodiversity conservation, reforestation with indigenous species, natural farming, and comprehensive water conservation. Government support and funds will be essential, as well as leveraging existing programs like NREGA to promote sustainable projects.

The environmental and cultural heritage of Punjab provides a foundation for this shift, drawing on values that emphasize harmony, justice, and resilience. By linking ecological protection to these values, Punjab can foster an enduring culture of sustainability that protects both the land and the wellbeing of its people.

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*Bharat Dogra is the Honorary Convener of Campaign to Save Earth Now and author of "Planet in Peril" and "A Day in 2071". Prof. Jagmohan Singh is Chairperson of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Centenary Foundation