Can Crop Diversification be Widely Adopted to Solve The Water Crisis in Punjab?

The disquieting water crisis in Punjab – the food bowl of India – is threatening its agricultural sustainability, necessitating effectuation of pragmatic policy measures. Conventional agricultural practices, especially the paddy–wheat (highly water-intensive crops) cropping system, are fuelling the growing water challenges. Large-scale crop diversification is being recommended by experts for the past four decades as one of the most potent solutions for attaining water and agricultural sustainability. Despite its merits, crop diversification in the state could not bear fruits and remains almost inconclusive. The present article collates empirical studies to ascertain handicaps associated with crop diversification in Punjab for framing an indefectible crop diversification policy. Such a policy cannot be implemented in isolation but requires multifaceted policy action with the Government playing a key role.