‘Desertification’ if advice goes unheeded: Punjab economist.

Ludhiana: Economist and Padma Vibhushan recipient Dr Sardara Singh Johl has issued a blistering critique of successive governments, warning that their refusal to reform agricultural policies is leading the region toward environmental collapse.Speaking at the 61st Alumni Meet of the College of Agriculture at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), the former Vice Chancellor expressed deep frustration that while more than two dozen international governments have successfully implemented his policy recommendations, his home state remains trapped in a "disastrous" cycle of water depletion. "I have given policy advice to at least two dozen governments... and they have implemented the policies in their parliaments," Dr. Johl said. "But here, nobody paid heed. I have been crying out, but nobody listened. It is an ache in my heart."
The Cost of a Thirsty CropDr Johl argued that the current obsession with paddy cultivation — originally introduced to solve food security crises decades ago — is no longer sustainable. He noted that canal water meets less than 30% of irrigation needs, forcing farmers to extract the remaining 70% from rapidly vanishing underground aquifers.The math of depletion is simple. Producing one kilogram of rice requires about 5,000 gallons of water. Every year, a "one cubic kilometer" block of drinkable water is extracted from the ground. "We are using the drinkable water of the future generation to produce food grains for others," Dr Johl warned.The Subsidy TrapA central pillar of the crisis, according to Dr Johl, is the provision of free electricity. While intended to help farmers, he argued the policy actually suppresses the Minimum Support Price (MSP) because the true costs of water and power are never calculated. "In the name of subsidising farmers, we are actually subsidising the consumers of 2.2 crore tonnes of food grains living elsewhere," he said.Proposed Solution: The 'Green Box'Instead of free power, Dr Johl recommends a "green box subsidy" — direct financial support that allows farmers to pay their own power bills. This would encourage water conservation while ensuring farmers remain financially viable. The economist revealed that even when he secured grants from the World Bank to facilitate a transition, political leaders refused to move away from "vote bank" tactics."I back in 1986 recommended that if 20% of the area under paddy was not reduced, it would disturb the water balance," he said. "Politicians don't care about the impact on society. They are giving free morsels and people are acting like beggars." He urged a shift toward oilseeds, pulses, cotton, maize, and vegetables. When farmers ask for alternatives to paddy, his response is blunt: "Plant whatever you would when the water completely runs out. Why not do it now and save the water?"