In the fields of Muridke, a quiet transformation is underway. Karamat Ali, a 61-year-old rice farmer, recently sold a dozen of his cows and buffaloes—not out of desperation, but to buy solar panels. The panels now power his tube well, replacing unreliable grid electricity and expensive diesel.
“Water supply to my paddy field is smoother than before,” he said with quiet satisfaction.
He is not alone. As solar power becomes cheaper and more accessible, farmers across Punjab are rapidly shifting away from fuel and grid-based irrigation. Interviews with farmers, analysts, and officials reveal just how widespread the shift has become.
But there is a huge catch: the boom in solar irrigation coincides with a worrying drop in groundwater levels across Punjab. Internal water authority maps seen by Reuters show that by 2024, water tables had fallen below 60 feet—considered a critical threshold—across 6.6% of the province. That’s all about 25% jump since 2020. Even deeper zones, beyond 80 feet, have more than doubled.
Solar pumps have made various irrigation feasible, even up to several times a day through pulse irrigation. This has encouraged farmers to plant more water-hungry crops like rice. USDA data shows rice cultivation has increased by 30% from 2023 to 2025, while maize—less thirsty—has dropped by 10%.
Farmers are driven not just by technology, but by economics. A long slump in wheat prices, high energy costs, and mounting poverty have left many families desperate for ways to cut expenses and increase yield.
Take Mohammad Naseem, also 61. Since installing his panels four years ago, he says he has saved nearly Rs2 million—several times the country’s per capita GDP. His rice output is up by 400–600 kg a year, and the improved quality earns better prices. He’s so protective of his solar setup that he dismantles the panels every evening to prevent theft.
The trend has even created new sharing models. Small farmers pool money to buy panels collectively. Others rent or lend them like tractors. “They sell land, jewellery, or take loans just to get it,” said solar merchant Shahab Qureshi. “Within five to six months, your return on investment is fulfilled.”
Meanwhile, authorities are leaving no stone unturned to manage the fallout. Punjab has launched groundwater recharge projects at approximately 40 sites, hoping to slow depletion—efforts that gained urgency after India suspended cooperation on Indus River water sharing earlier this year.
“This is our mini effort to return the due share to the aquifer,” claimed by Adnan Hassan from the irrigation department. “If polluted water is injected due to over-extraction, the next generation is going to suffer.”
For now, solar power is leaving no stone unturned to help farmers survive—but the water beneath their feet is paying the price.