Islamabad: Pakistan’s ambitious shift to solar-powered farming, once hailed as a sustainable answer to rising energy costs and power shortages, is now being linked to a severe groundwater crisis that threatens the country’s agricultural backbone.
Across Punjab, the country’s agricultural heartland, farmers are increasingly installing solar-powered tube wells to irrigate their crops. These pumps, which operate independently of the national grid or diesel generators, have offered farmers consistent access to water, reducing costs and dependence on unreliable electricity supplies. Many, like rice farmer Karamat Ali from Muridke, describe the transition as transformative. Selling livestock to invest in solar panels, Ali now irrigates his rice fields with ease, calling the system more reliable and efficient than anything he had before.
But this newfound independence comes at a steep ecological price. Unlike diesel-powered pumps, which were expensive to run and thus used sparingly, solar pumps offer unlimited free power once installed. Farmers now irrigate their fields far more frequently, often adopting water-intensive crops such as rice over less thirsty alternatives like maize. Government figures indicate that between 2023 and 2025, rice acreage expanded by nearly 30%, while maize cultivation dropped by around 10%.
Internal data from Punjab’s water authorities paints a stark picture: groundwater tables are plunging at alarming rates. In 2024, 6.6% of Punjab’s land had water levels deeper than 60 feet, a threshold considered critical. The area with water tables beyond 80 feet has more than doubled since 2020, raising fears of long-term ecological collapse.
Pakistani officials have offered conflicting narratives. Federal Power Minister Awais Leghari has dismissed concerns, arguing that farmers are simply replacing diesel-powered wells with solar units, not increasing water usage. But Punjab’s Irrigation Minister, Muhammad Kazim Pirzada, conceded that while solar energy has clear benefits, it is indeed worsening groundwater depletion. Despite mounting evidence of increased irrigation and expanded rice cultivation, authorities have yet to acknowledge the full extent of the problem.
The rapid expansion of solar farming owes much to global market dynamics. The cost of solar modules has fallen by about 80% since 2017, largely driven by mass production in China. This affordability has fueled Pakistan’s solar boom, enabling hundreds of thousands of farmers to adopt the technology. Estimates suggest around 650,000 tube wells are now solar-powered nationwide including both converted and newly built systems.
Recognizing the looming crisis, Punjab’s irrigation department has begun limited efforts to mitigate the damage. Pilot projects aimed at groundwater recharge are underway, using structures to inject floodwater back into depleted aquifers. More than 40 potential sites have been identified, with some already operational. Authorities are also revisiting older irrigation systems, such as the Ravi Siphon canal network, to channel more surface water to farms and reduce reliance on wells.
Experts warn, however, that these measures are inadequate against the scale of the problem. Pakistan still lacks a comprehensive system to register and monitor tube wells, meaning water use goes largely unchecked. Without stricter regulation and more sustainable farming practices, the very crops that solar power supports today could become unsustainable tomorrow.
“The solar push has no method to its madness,” said one local water researcher. “In the long run, this reckless groundwater extraction will dictate the crops we can grow, and ultimately, our national food security.”