Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has rolled out its first State Groundwater Conservation and Management Plan, a 14-point strategy to combat alarming water depletion.

Covering over 15.79 lakh hectares of farmland, the plan focuses on reducing dependence on groundwater through micro-irrigation, closed pipeline systems, lift irrigation, check dams, and recharge ponds. It also promotes flood modeling, farmer engagement, and planting bamboo and vetiver for erosion control and water absorption. 

Of the 153 development blocks, 115 are over-exploited, with extraction far exceeding recharge. To counter this, the government is incentivizing canal irrigation, crop diversification, and sustainable recharge techniques like percolation tanks. Reviving Punjab’s 63,000 km of defunct canals is also central to restoring balance. More than infrastructure, the initiative emphasises grassroots participation, scientific collaboration, and community-driven conservation.