Groundwater is often described as the “hidden treasure” of Pakistan’s agriculture. For decades, it has been the lifeline for farmers, ensuring crop survival when canal water is insufficient, unreliable, or delayed. Today, more than 60% of irrigation in Pakistan relies on groundwater, either as the primary source or as a supplement to canal water. However, this over-dependence has come at a heavy cost: groundwater tables are falling, pumping costs are rising, and in many areas, water quality has deteriorated to levels that threaten both crops and human health.
Understanding the causes of groundwater depletion and adopting sustainable pumping practices is no longer an option—it is an urgent necessity for Pakistan’s food and water security.
Why is Groundwater Depleting in Pakistan?
- Over-Extraction for Irrigation
- The introduction of tubewell technology in the 1960s Green Revolution made groundwater widely accessible.
- Today, over 1.2 million private tubewells operate in Pakistan, most running without regulation.
- Farmers, facing uncertain canal water deliveries, pump groundwater excessively, often more than natural recharge allows.
- Population Growth and Food Demand
- Pakistan’s population is expected to cross 250 million by 2030, demanding more food and, consequently, more irrigation water.
- The pressure on groundwater increases every year as more land comes under cultivation.
- Climate Change and Rainfall Variability
- Irregular monsoon patterns and reduced winter rainfall mean less natural recharge of aquifers.
- Higher temperatures increase evapotranspiration, forcing farmers to irrigate more frequently.
- Urban and Industrial Use
- Cities like Lahore, Karachi, and Faisalabad extract massive quantities of groundwater for domestic and industrial needs, putting further pressure on aquifers.
- Poor Governance and Lack of Regulation
- There is no comprehensive groundwater law in most provinces.
- Anyone with financial resources can drill a tubewell, regardless of local water availability or sustainability.
Consequences of Groundwater Depletion
- Falling Water Tables: In areas like Punjab’s central districts, water tables are dropping by 0.5–1 meter annually. Farmers now must install deeper, more expensive tubewells.
- Rising Pumping Costs: Deeper groundwater means higher energy use. Diesel and electricity costs are eating into farmers’ incomes.
- Salinity Intrusion: Over-pumping in some areas has brought saline water upward, degrading fertile soils and reducing yields.
- Water Quality Concerns: In Sindh and southern Punjab, groundwater has high concentrations of salts, fluoride, and even arsenic in some regions—posing health hazards.
- Threat to Long-Term Food Security: If unchecked, depletion could make some farming systems unviable, especially in groundwater-dependent zones.
Sustainable Pumping Practices: How to Protect the Hidden Treasure
The solution to groundwater depletion lies in balancing use with recharge, improving efficiency, and introducing governance reforms. Some of the key strategies include:
1. Improving Irrigation Efficiency
- Adoption of drip and sprinkler systems can reduce water use by 30–50%.
- Even within canal-fed systems, laser land leveling reduces percolation losses and ensures uniform irrigation.
- Avoiding over-irrigation not only saves water but also prevents waterlogging and salinity.
2. Crop Choices and Cropping Patterns
- Shifting away from high-water-demand crops like sugarcane and rice in groundwater-stressed areas can significantly reduce extraction.
- Introducing climate-smart crops such as pulses, oilseeds, and drought-tolerant wheat varieties offers both sustainability and profitability.
3. Artificial Recharge of Aquifers
- Rainwater harvesting through check dams, recharge ponds, and spreading basins can help replenish groundwater.
- In canal command areas, managed aquifer recharge (MAR) projects can direct excess flows during floods into groundwater storage.
4. Energy-Water Nexus: Rationalizing Pumping
- Subsidized electricity and diesel encourage over-pumping. A balanced approach, where energy pricing is linked to water-saving practices, can help reduce wastage.
- Solar-powered tubewells should be promoted carefully with smart control systems, ensuring pumping aligns with groundwater availability.
5. Monitoring and Regulation
- Provinces must move toward groundwater governance, including permits, registration of tubewells, and data-sharing mechanisms.
- Digital tools like remote sensing and IoT sensors can monitor pumping in real time.
6. Farmer Awareness and Capacity Building
- Farmers need practical training on when and how much to irrigate.
- Decision support tools (apps, SMS-based advisories) can guide them in scheduling irrigation efficiently.
Policy-Level Interventions
To ensure sustainable groundwater management, Pakistan requires a mix of institutional and technological reforms:
- Groundwater Legislation
- Establish provincial laws defining rights, limits, and responsibilities for groundwater users.
- Integration with Surface Water Management
- Groundwater cannot be managed in isolation. A holistic Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach is required.
- Data and Research
- Continuous monitoring of groundwater levels and quality must be institutionalized.
- Universities and research centers should collaborate with farmers to develop context-specific solutions.
- Incentives for Efficiency
- Provide subsidies for drip irrigation, solar pumping with smart controls, and recharge structures rather than for excessive pumping.
Moving Forward: A Shared Responsibility
Groundwater is not an infinite resource—it is a shared heritage that sustains life, food production, and the economy of Pakistan. Its management must go beyond individual farmers and involve communities, researchers, and policymakers working together.
If sustainable pumping practices are adopted today, Pakistan can secure its groundwater reserves for generations to come. But if over-extraction continues unchecked, the country faces a “silent drought” beneath its soils—one that will erode food security and rural livelihoods.