Bhagwant Mann: Punjab has a very bad problem with freshwater. Every year, the state takes out about 5.2 billion cubic meters of groundwater, which causes an average yearly drop of 0.7 meters. In 115 of the 153 blocks, the water level has gone above what is safe for extraction, and in some areas, it has been used more than 150% of its refilling capacity.
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Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the situation could not continue and warned that agriculture could be hurt permanently if things are not changed right away.
The campaign to “Say No to King Paddy”
The state started the “Say No to King Paddy” effort to get people to stop using too much water for King Paddy. The slogan is aimed at paddy types that need a lot of water, like Pusa 44, and tells farmers to switch to crops that need less water.
Groundnut, maize, cotton, and basmati rice are some of the options that the government is pushing. Also, officials are telling farmers to use direct-seeded rice (DSR), a method that can cut water use by 15–20 per cent per acre while keeping returns the same.
A 14-point plan to save water
The Mann government passed a 14-point action plan for long-term sustainability in the middle of 2025. In order to keep water from evaporating, the plan calls for switching 1.58 million hectares to drip and sprinkler watering systems and building more underground pipeline networks.
The government will also fix up 63,000 kilometres of canals and move water from the surface into village ponds so that they can be used for lift irrigation. To make sure that tracking is done locally and distribution works well, the state is planning to set up Water User Associations.
