The free electricity driving millions of farm pumps is now responsible for an estimated 100 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, while groundwater — once thought inexhaustible in many regions — is rapidly vanishing. Policies designed decades ago to support farmers are inadvertently deepening inequalities between States and communities, warn scientists.
Researchers from some of the country’s leading public institutions are now sounding the alarm. They are urging both the Centre and State governments to urgently revisit the farm power subsidy (FPS) and shift India toward a more climate‑resilient model of irrigation and food production.
The FPS — underpinned by a 72% coal-based energy requirement — has become one of India’s most carbon‑intensive public support mechanisms. Hence, they call for a fundamental rethink of groundwater‑based irrigation and a broader shift in croppin
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