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Groundwater irrigation and farm power policies in Punjab and West Bengal: Challenges and opportunities

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  • Sarkar, Anindita

Abstract

This paper presents the contrasting picture of groundwater irrigation, agricultural growth and farm electricity consumption in Punjab and West Bengal. While Punjab, a semi-arid, groundwater depleted state continues to follow water intensive rice-wheat cropping pattern assisted with free farm power since 1997; West Bengal, a groundwater abundant state became the first state to vigorously meter its electric tubewells with a flat-cum-metered tariff since 2011. At present, Punjab aims to reduce subsidies by rationing farm power supply but assists farmers with minimum support price to sustain their farm incomes. West Bengal experienced a major boost in rice cultivation in the eighties with the spread of shallow-tubewells. Contrary to the optimistic predictions of boost in boro rice cultivation with the introduction of liberalised policy of new tubewell permits, Bengal could not unleash the untapped potential of groundwater irrigation. Though the number of tubewells increased manifold, the increasing tariff of volumetric electricity pricing did not lead to any major boost to groundwater irrigation. Bengal the leading rice growing state in India needs an appropriate power policy along with conducive procurement infrastructure so that it can provide better farm incomes to the rice farmers and in the long run can take the pressure off from north western India which is burdened with chronic groundwater depletion on account of intensive rice cultivation.

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  • Sarkar, Anindita, 2020. "Groundwater irrigation and farm power policies in Punjab and West Bengal: Challenges and opportunities," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:140:y:2020:i:c:s0301421520301907
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111437
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mukherji, A. & Das, B. & Majumdar, N. & Nayak, N.C. & Sethi, R.R. & Sharma, B.R., 2009. "Metering of agricultural power supply in West Bengal, India: Who gains and who loses?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 5530-5539, December.
    2. Sidhu, R.S. & Dhillon, M.S., 1997. "Land and Water Resources in Punjab: Their Degradation and Technologies for Sustainable Use," Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, vol. 52(3), September.
    3. Mukherji, Aditi, 2007. "The energy-irrigation nexus and its impact on groundwater markets in eastern Indo-Gangetic basin: Evidence from West Bengal, India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 6413-6430, December.
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    1. Disha Gupta, 2023. "Free power, irrigation, and groundwater depletion: Impact of farm electricity policy of Punjab, India," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 54(4), pages 515-541, July.
    2. Mitra, Archisman & Balasubramanya, Soumya & Bouwer, Roy, 2021. "Can electricity rebates modify groundwater pumping behaviours? Evidence from a pilot study in Punjab, India," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 313871, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Urfels, Anton & Mausch, Kai & Harris, Dave & McDonald, Andrew J. & Kishore, Avinash & Balwinder-Singh, & van Halsema, Gerardo & Struik, Paul C. & Craufurd, Peter & Foster, Timothy & Singh, Vartika & K, 2023. "Farm size limits agriculture's poverty reduction potential in Eastern India even with irrigation-led intensification," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    4. Archisman Mitra & Soumya Balasubramanya & Roy Brouwer, 2023. "Can cash incentives modify groundwater pumping behaviors? Evidence from an experiment in Punjab," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(3), pages 861-887, May.
    5. Yogita Sharma & Baljinder Kaur Sidana & Sunny Kumar & Samanpreet Kaur & Milkho Kaur Sekhon & Amrit Kaur Mahal & Sushant Mehan, 2023. "Pre and Post Water Level Behaviour in Punjab: Impact Analysis with DiD Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, January.
    6. Bajaj, Akshi & Singh, S.P. & Nayak, Diptimayee, 2023. "Are farmers willing to pay for groundwater irrigation? Insights from informal groundwater markets in Western Uttar Pradesh, India," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).

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