India, Sept. 22 -- In a growing trend across southwest Punjab, farmers are increasingly installing solar-powered tubewells without seeking approval from the state government - a move that is raising serious concerns about the unchecked exploitation of groundwater.

Bypassing official procedures and turning to private companies for quick, off-the-grid installations, farmers are using renewable energy to meet rising irrigation demands, particularly as many shift from cotton to water-intensive paddy cultivation.

As groundwater depletion is a major concern for the agriculture sector of Punjab, the government regulations restrict new connections for power-run tubewells, which get free power from Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL)....