The monsoon deficit has tangible effects on agriculture and water availability. Paddy cultivation decreased by 3.6% compared to the previous year, and 107 of India's 146 major reservoirs were below 40% capacity as rabi sowing began. Groundwater depletion remains a critical issue, with India extracting more groundwater annually than any other country. In Punjab, overproduction of water-intensive crops like rice has contributed significantly to the state's groundwater depletion over the last 34 years.