Raghav Chadha sounds alarm in Parliament, seeks urgent central intervention on Punjab’s deepening water crisis

During the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Wednesday issued a clarion call to the Central Government over Punjab’s escalating water crisis, describing it as a “national emergency” rather than a state-specific problem.

Speaking in the Upper House, Chadha highlighted the severe environmental toll borne by Punjab, once hailed as India’s food bowl.

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“Punjab fed the nation during times of scarcity and led the Green Revolution. Today, that very state is paying a heavy price,” he said, pointing to widespread groundwater depletion, river contamination, and toxic water.

Citing the Government of India’s Ground Water Quality Assessment Report 2025, Chadha revealed alarming levels of uranium contamination in Punjab, with 62.5% of post-monsoon groundwater samples exceeding safe limits.

He also flagged dangerous concentrations of arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, and nickel, particularly in the Malwa region. The MP drew attention to the so-called “Cancer Train” from Bathinda to Bikaner, which carries cancer patients to treatment facilities because of pollution-related illnesses.

Chadha further emphasised the collapse of Punjab’s rivers, including the Sutlej, Beas, and Ghaggar, noting that 76% of river stretches fall into the two most polluted categories, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

He attributed the groundwater crisis to decades of water-intensive paddy cultivation, with 117 of 138 blocks now over-exploited and groundwater depth plunging from 20 feet in the 1970s to nearly 500 feet today.

Calling for urgent Central intervention, Chadha proposed a Punjab Water Restoration Mission, 24×7 digital monitoring of industrial discharge, ecological engineering to rejuvenate rivers, universal access to safe drinking water and an independent foreign audit of Punjab’s water systems.

“Punjab is not asking for charity; Punjab seeks justice. If the state secured the nation’s food security for decades, then today the nation must stand by Punjab,” Chadha concluded, invoking the teachings of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji on the sacredness of water and the earth.