Prof. Karamjeet Singh
The recent floods in Punjab were more than a natural disaster. Fields lay submerged, families displaced, livelihoods ruined. They were a blunt reminder that our water management is broken. But behind the tragedy lies a deeper question: Why do Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan still treat rivers as political property when rivers obey only geography and gravity?
We have drawn borders around water, but water has refused to listen. The result is familiar: Long-standing disagreements over canals, contamination of our rivers from unchecked effluents, falling water tables across Punjab, and uncoordinated release of dam waters that often causes damage downstream. Instead of cooperation, we get litigation. Instead of stewardship, we get short-term politics.
Centuries ago, Guru Nanak Dev Ji gave us a principle that should guide us even today: Sarbat da Bhala — the welfare of all. In Japji Sahib, he called water our father. To waste, pollute or hoard it is to betray that wisdom. But this is exactly what we are doing, often unintentionally, by failing to protect the resources entrusted to us.
The crisis is not abstract. Farmers in Malwa live with rising cancer cases linked to poor water quality. Groundwater in central Punjab is being sucked out faster than it can recharge. Parts of Rajasthan face creeping desertification. Floods batter Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir with increasing fury. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a region caught in a dangerous cycle of overuse, mismanagement and neglect. The younger generation is inheriting scarcity, not abundance, and if we do not act today, the costs tomorrow will pay will be unbearable.
Our Shared Heritage
So where do we go from here? The answer is simple in words but difficult in politics: Treat North India as one ecological unit, not a bundle of competing states. Call it an “old Punjab” mind-set, where rivers are shared heritage, not contested spoils, and decisions are guided by collective well-being rather than narrow calculations.
Take dams, for instance. Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar could be managed under a single Northern Water Authority with transparent, real-time dashboards on storage and release. That would prevent both upstream flooding and downstream suspicion. The Mekong River Commission, where four countries coordinate dam flows despite their competing interests, shows this is possible. We too can rise above divisions if the political will is found.
Our canals tell the same story. Punjab and Haryana lose up to 30% of water in seepage. Lining them or shifting to pressurised pipe systems can save millions of litres.
Equally important is stopping untreated waste from entering rivers. This is not about one state versus another, it is about protecting the health of Punjabi families first, while also ensuring that no community downstream suffers. Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin Plan is a reminder that federations can manage rivers jointly without constant quarrels, provided there is trust and accountability.
Groundwater needs equal attention. Reviving ponds, wells and Baolis can recharge aquifers far better than Tube wells ever will. Rooftop harvesting should become mandatory across cities and villages, turning every roof into a reservoir.
And we cannot escape the hard truth: Punjab must move away from paddy. Diversifying to maize, pulses and millets — with proper support prices — will not only save water but also reduce the ecological stress created by mono-cropping. Our farmers, who once led the Green Revolution, can lead this transition if supported by the right policies.
Bhakra Nangal Dam – A Shared Resource
Northern Water Authority
Technology can help, but only if adopted widely. Israel reuses 80% of its wastewater and runs entire farming belts on drip irrigation. Why can’t we? Smart sensors, farmer-friendly apps, micro-irrigation kits, all are available. What we need is training and outreach so that research does not remain trapped in labs. Agricultural universities should lead a joint Centre for Water Innovation to pilot solutions, test them on farms, and scale them across the region.
But ultimately, the heart of the problem is governance. We need a supra-state Northern Water Authority, backed by a binding cooperation treaty that obliges states to work together. Farmers, civil society and industry must have a seat at the table, so that solutions are rooted in ground realities.
Playing politics with rivers is a luxury this region can no longer afford. Communities must take ownership, treating water as a shared duty rather than someone else’s responsibility.
Call to Action
This year’s floods must be seen not only as a calamity but as a wake-up call. Just as the Green Revolution secured food in the 20th century, a Blue Revolution in water management must safeguard the 21st.
Punjab, once the nation’s food bowl, can now lead in water stewardship. The choice is clear: Continue depleting aquifers and polluting rivers in silos, or embrace collective responsibility where “Sarbat da Bhala” shapes policy.
Global examples prove cooperation works, and our spiritual inheritance urges it. The real test is acting now so rivers remain a source of life, not a symbol of neglect.
(The writer is vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. vc@gndu.ac.in)
Credit: First published in Hindustan Times on 29 September 2025