Significant groundwater depletion in India, particularly in grain-producing regions crucial for public distribution, poses a major sustainability challenge. This study identifies adjustments to India's Procurement & Distribution System as a key solution. Groundwater irrigation, facilitated by subsidized electricity, is vital for food security. Using century-long climate data and detailed economic, crop yield, and related parameters, an optimization model demonstrates that shifting crop procurement and production geographies can meet government targets even without irrigation, while boosting net farm income and curbing groundwater depletion. Allowing irrigation further increases net farm income by 30%, and reduced electricity subsidies in depleted areas can offset income redistribution, addressing a key political hurdle.

Naresh Devieneni, Shama Perveen, Upmanu Lall