The groundwater potential of the Gangetic valley is on a serious decline. How may it affect the food security of India?
Question source: nextias.com
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The persistent decline in India's groundwater · 21 September 2026 · Covers one part · use it in the body
Shows how groundwater depletion threatens irrigation-dependent food production, using north-west India data; it has no Gangetic-specific figures.
- Groundwater meets most of India's irrigation and about 85% of rural drinking water needs; India accounts for roughly a quarter of global extraction.
- The 2025 stage of extraction was 156.36% in Punjab and 136.75% in Haryana, where MSP and procurement favour water-intensive paddy.
- Suggest crop diversification towards millets and pulses to protect food security.