Environmental Issues, Economic Policies and Agricultural Development : The Case of Punjab, India

This paper discusses economic policies that have supported a particular kind of agricultural development in Punjab, as well as environment-specific policies that have sought to deal with various environmental problems aris- ing from that pattern of development. In doing so, we highlight some major environmental issues associated with economic policies in the state, including with respect to water, air, soil and climate change. We attempt to analyze why and how economic policy failures adversely affect environmental quality in Punjab. The aim of this paper is to highlight these issues, as a first step towards identifying policies that may do a better job of protecting the envi- ronment. This is important because Punjab has been a trendsetter for India in its farm practices and policies