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THE MANAGEMENT OF THE INDUS RIVER CATCHMENT BASIN IN THE
PANJAB: CRISIS AND CONFLICT
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The looming water crisis in the Punjab
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Punjab, the famous land of five rivers, is a semi-arid landlocked region in the north- western part of South Asia with a land area of 357,090 sq km and an estimated population of 120 million. The five rivers of Punjab are tributaries of the Indus River and are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej (from west to east). Despite its historical and geographical unity, Punjab has been divided between India and Pakistan since 1947. The very existence of the Punjab, however, depends on the waters of the five rivers, which are its main resource. Without proper water management and artificial irrigation, only limited agricultural development is possible. Agricultural production in India and Pakistan depends to a large extent on Punjab and it was in this region that the Green Revolution was a success. Thus, it is known as the breadbasket of both countries as it supplies more than 60% of their food grains.
However, intensive irrigation and agricultural practices under the Green Revolution has led to the environmental degradation of the Punjab. One of the major causes of the water crisis is the intensive planting of rice to Punjab. Rice is not a traditional crop in this semi-arid region and it was the use of intensive irrigation that made the growing of rice possible.
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Ceilings over pricing of agricultural production and restrictions on the export of agricultural produce imposed by the Union Government of India on the Punjabi farmers have, however, restricted the planting of other crops that use less water. Also at present, Indian Punjab is getting only about 25 % of the waters from its own rivers. The remainder is being diverted to less productive regions such as Haryana and Rajasthan despite the fact that both these states are non-riparian for the above rivers. This diversion has resulted in a shortage in meeting Punjab state's need for irrigation and has forced the Punjabi farmers to dig tube wells and extract groundwater beyond its sustainability. The State of the World Report in 1998 estimates that the gap between water use and sustainable yield of the aquifer is so high that the aquifer under the Punjab could be depleted by the year 2025.
The seepage of water from canals and lack of proper rural drinking are also issues of concern. The environmental degradation of Punjab has been the end result with groundwater depletion, degradation of watersheds, water pollution, water-logging, salinization and desertification. Future global warming trends will only add to these problems. George Rothschild, the Director-General of the International Rice Research Institute has warned that due to the environmental damage occurring in the Punjab, we will begin to see Ethiopian-style famines on a huge scale in Indian and Pakistani Punjab. Socio-political issues, however, have dominated the use of water in
Punjab and have led to the looming environmental crisis. The division of the Indus river basin between India and Pakistan resulted in a dispute that was resolved in a bilateral agreement in 1960. This prevented regional management, full potential efficiency and ignored the hydrological reality of watershed, surface and groundwater issues and also hindered the proper development of the Punjab region. There are also conflicts over water between the Indian Punjab and the Union Government. In addition, there are water conflicts in Pakistan between Punjab province and the other provinces. A comparison between the Punjab state in India and the Punjab province in Pakistan shows differing water management practices but the underlying philosophy for both has been technical solutions, rather than an ecological and holistic approach.
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Shiva showed 'that rather than abundance, Punjab state has been left with diseased soils, pest-infested crops, water logged deserts, and indebted and discontented farmers. Instead of peace, Punjab has inherited conflict and violence' (Dr. Vandana Shiva, The Violence of the Green Revolution, 1993). Thus, in Indian Punjab, water became an important contributing factor in conflicts including the Indian army's storming of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab in 1984. It is clear that until the dispute over the
rights to the river waters is settled, the Punjab crisis will continue to simmer and may even escalate again. In Pakistani Punjab, salinity, deforestation, soil erosion and the large land holdings have caused environmental damage. Deforestation along the banks of the Indus and other rivers is having a dramatic impact on rainfall and soil erosion. The construction of dams on the Indus to serve the elite has altered both the volume and the course of the river to the determent of Sindh. Pakistani Punjab is, thus, confronted with both demographic and ecological disaster due to mismanagement of the river systems. The dramatic increase in the use of pesticides and herbicides in the wake of the Green Revolution in both Punjab's has also damaged the ecosystem, causing toxicity and loss of
bio-diversity. Thus, the very survival of the Punjabi people in a sustainable environment is at risk.
An environmental injustice is being committed on the Punjabi people who have the right to protect their historical homeland. Due to a lack of proper water management and sustainable practices, agricultural and environmental degradation has taken place in Punjab in just four decades and little effort has been made to protect the natural environment of Punjab. There is a strong likelihood that the excessive use of groundwater for agriculture in India and Pakistan might result in the desertification of Punjab in the early part of the 21st century. This will result in the creation of environmental refugees on a huge scale. Before this occurs, the crisis of water scarcity might lead to confrontation and armed conflict between these two nuclear powers with disastrous consequences for the Punjab. The danger of conflicts over water resources are liable to increase with water scarcity and the poor and the environment will be adversely affected. There is a need for conflict resolution and the solving of the socio-political problems plaguing this region.
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The Indus River basin of the Punjab has to be managed as a continuous hydrological area with integrated management for socio-economic development and environmental protection. Other factors to be considered are surface water, groundwater, ecosystems, habitat protection, and preservation of species and water quality issues. Special attention will have to be paid to the needs of the poor, women, landless and tenant farmers with regards to water usage in a vulnerable landlocked region like Punjab. Water usage
programmes need to incorporate ecological sensibility, which start at the village level to develop solutions that meet the needs of the Punjabi people. There is also an urgent need to improve irrigation efficiency by the adoption of micro-irrigation techniques, the diversification of agriculture with emphasis on the implementation of sustainable practices, organic methods of cultivation, nature-based farming methods, planting of native Punjabi crops and environmentally friendly techniques. There is also an urgent need to study the impact of the water scarcity on the natural environment, aquatic ecosystems, river habitats and wetlands of Punjab.
International assistance, especially from Diaspora Punjabis will be required to ensure the conservation and environmental protection of the land and waters of Punjab.
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Source: Pardeep Singh Rai
Defenders of the Environment and Ecology of Panjab (DEEP)
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