India's Rice Export: A Groundwater Crisis in the Making? Uttarakhand Bans Summer Paddy

• Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district imposes a ban on summer paddy cultivation from February 1 to April 30 due to groundwater depletion.
• The ban, affecting 15,000 farmers and Rs 150 crore worth of produce, is the first explicit groundwater-linked restriction in the region.
• Groundwater levels in Udham Singh Nagar have fallen by nearly 70 feet in a decade, with rice farming identified as a major contributor.
• India's rice exports in 2023-24 equated to 40 billion cubic metres of 'virtual water', 17% of the country's annual groundwater extraction.
• Water-intensive crops like rice and sugarcane, supported by MSP, exacerbate groundwater stress in states like Punjab and Haryana.

Why It Matters: Uttarakhand's summer paddy ban highlights India's urgent groundwater crisis linked to water-intensive crop exports.