Punjab Draws 152% of Its Replenishable Groundwater: Over-Extraction, Rice–Wheat Lock-In and a Widening Farm Divide

An editorial in The Hindu on 23 September 2026 highlighted that Punjab's groundwater extraction stands at 152% of its annually extractable resource in the 2025-26 assessment, with about 72% of its 153 blocks in the "red zone", and that depletion is widening the wealth gap between large and small farmers. The same week, the 9th India International Water Week opened at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (22–26 September 2026) on the theme "Climate Resilient Water Management".