Groundwater Resources in Punjab and Bist-Doab Area: An Appraisal and Overview

Abstract

Punjab, a land of five rivers (in hindi Punch nada), namely, Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum are historically part of larger Punjab region comprising parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan on international front and states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh (trifurcated into 3 states: punjabi speaking Punjab, and hindi speaking Haryana in 1966 and Himachal Pradesh in 1971), parts of Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi at national front. Punjab is historically considered as the breadbasket and a role model for green revolution in India. However, it is presently under serious threat of groundwater level decline, salinity problem and also aquifer contamination. To understand the issues, trends and challenges of groundwater resource, a comprehensive outlook on characteristic and property, which shape and are responsible for such abnormality to happen, is needed for deriving a technically sound sustainable solution. To appraise the issues and challenges, an overview covering hydrogeology, changing scenarios of groundwater resources, soils, trends in groundwater levels, quality of groundwater, etc. together with an indepth analysis of the Bist-Doab area, as a case study are described. The data and results compiled from different publications are duly acknowledged.