Impact of cropping pattern changes on the exploitation of water resources: A remote sensing and GIS approach

A remote sensing-based approach was applied to study the impact of changes in cropping system on the exploitation of water resources in two districts namely Ludhiana in central Punjab and Muktsar in South-Western Punjab. Rice-wheat remained dominant rotation in Ludhiana while cottonwheat rotation was replaced partially by rice-wheat in Muktsar within a span of over five years (1998–99 to 2003–04). The solo rice-wheat system in Ludhiana district has resulted in large-scale ground water exploitation as is evident from the faster decline in water table (up to 0.9m year⁻¹) and higher tube-wells density (440 per 1000 ha). As a result, nearly 60 per cent of the total area of Ludhiana district has the water table depth greater than 10m and in some blocks, it has reached to a depth of 22 m. In Muktsar district, corresponding rise in water table is 0.2m per year and tube well density is 114 per 1000 ha. Irrigation water associated with paddy cultivation in Ludhiana and adjoining areas moves laterally through the buried paleo-channels of Sutlaj in the deeper soil profile and gets accumulated in the basin lands of Muktsar and adjoining areas and causes an extra water flux and subsequent rise in water table, recorded at 3 to 7m depth. To minimize the hydrological imbalance of the state, it is suggested to diversify some of the area in the central districts from irrigation water intensive rice-wheat system to less water intensive cropping system.