57% Wells Show Rise in Groundwater Level; 68 People Die of Cancer Daily

India’s Central Ground Water Board data shows approximately 57% of the wells monitored in Panjab have registered a rise in groundwater levels while 43% wells have shown decline over the past decade. The rise is mostly in the range of 0–2 meters. The union government has shared the aquifer maps covering an area of 50,369 sq. km. and management plans with the respective state governments. The union government has also shared a master plan for artificial recharge of groundwater covering an area of 45,592 sq. km. Meanwhile, former Secretary Agriculture, Panjab Kahan Singh Pannu has been actively working on innovative farming techniques on his own land that use less groundwater. He is also encouraging other farmers to adopt them. Narinder Tiwana from Dittupur village, Patiala district decided ​​to experiment with this new technique of growing paddy. Tiwana did not flood his two acres farm with water but instead shaped the land into a row of narrow elevated soil beds, separated by deep furrows. He planted rice seeds on the soil beds and the furrows filled with water. Tiwana said, ‘Only 50% of water is needed to grow rice this way as compared to traditional paddy farming’. He got a yield of around 24 quintals from one acre, which is the same as with traditional methods. Bahadur Singh a farmer from Amloh village, Fatehgarh Sahib district also benefited from moving to the less water-intensive technique. Concurrently, as many as 68 people died of cancer every day in Panjab in 2025 with the incidence of the disease and mortality rising over the years. According to fresh data, the cases increased from 39,251 in 2021 to 43,196 in 2025. This means every year, nearly 25K people in Panjab are dying of cancer. Additionally, a pharmaceutical company Roche Pharma India has partnered with the Panjab government to launch an initiative Neuro Sakhi (friend) to strengthen support systems for women living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the state. MS is a complex neurological condition with a strong predilection for women where timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment can significantly alter the course of the disease (earlier coverage).