The Big Grain Drain

Contents: Preface. 1. Changing Punjab. 2. Unsustainable agriculture. 3. Loss of agro diversity. 4. Perils of pesticides. 5. Sustaining productivity. 6. Going organic. 7. Groundwater realities. 8. Canal irrigation and water logging. 9. Drying and dying rivers. 10. Shrinking wetlands and village ponds. 11. Degraded forests. 12. The vanishing wildlife. 13. Urbanisation of Punjab. 14. GM crops. 15. Preparing for climate change. Annexures. Index.
 
The tragedy of India is that it is rich but poor. It is a country abundantly endowed with natural resources: minerals, land, and labour. But myopic political vision, bad policies, ineffective programme implementation and corruption have stunted the proper use of these resources. This book uses the state of Punjab as a case study of highlight India’s contradictions. It not only highlights all that is wrong but also provides easily implementable correctives that can change the course of India’s future. (jacket)