New Delhi: AAP MP Raghav Chadha on Wednesday raised alarm in the Rajya Sabha, stating that Punjab—once the nation’s buffer against hunger and the leader of the Green Revolution—is today battling an existential water crisis. Citing Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s teachings, he said Punjab, the land of five rivers, now faces dangerous groundwater depletion and toxic contamination.
Chadha highlighted three critical concerns. According to the Government of India’s 2025 Groundwater Quality Report, Punjab has the highest uranium contamination in the country, with 62.5% post-monsoon samples above safe limits. Arsenic, lead, cadmium, and chromium levels are also higher than WHO standards, especially in the Malwa belt.
He said Bathinda–Bikaner train 14703 is tragically known as the “Cancer Train” because many cancer patients travel on it for treatment.
Groundwater levels have plummeted from 20 feet in 1970 to 500 feet today, with 113 of 117 blocks over-exploited. NASA’s GRACE satellite identifies Punjab as the world’s fastest groundwater-depleting region.
Punjab’s rivers—Sutlej, Beas, and Ghaggar—are severely polluted with untreated sewage, industrial waste, and chemicals; 76% river stretches fall in India’s most polluted categories.
Chadha concluded, “Punjab fed the nation for 50 years. Today it seeks not charity, but justice.”
