Tube Wells: From Solution to New Challenge in Pakistan’s Agriculture.

Tube wells were introduced decades ago to fight waterlogging and salinity in the Indus Basin. They worked — giving farmers on-demand irrigation and reclaiming previously unproductive lands.

But new data tells another story. Between 2010 and 2024:

Punjab: Tube well–only irrigation more than doubled (4.89 → 9.98 million acres)

Balochistan & KPK: Tripled usage

Sindh: Six-fold increase

Why the surge?
Reliable water when canals fail
Expanded cultivable area
Government-subsidised solar tube wells slashing pumping costs

The hidden risks:
Groundwater depletion at alarming rates
Falling water tables making irrigation costlier
Unchecked solar pumping removing economic restraint on water use

The way forward:

1️⃣ Regulate groundwater extraction — quotas or permits in stressed zones
2️⃣ Price even solar-powered pumping to avoid overuse
3️⃣ Invest in recharge systems & efficient irrigation
4️⃣ Use GIS data for targeted subsidies and monitoring