Video Conference of CM Punjab With Union Jal Shakti Minister
- At VC with Jal Shakti Minister, reiterates demand for tribunal for water availability assessment
- Punjab & Haryana CMs to meet in Chandigarh soon for further discussions
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Punjab had a right to Yamuna water, in which it did not get
a share at the time of 60:40 division of assets with Haryana during the state’s
division in 1966, the Chief Minister said, even as he expressed his willingness
to sit across the table with his Haryana counterpart ML Khattar to discuss the
`emotive’ issue. He also suggested that Rajasthan be involved in discussions on
the SYL Canal/Ravi-Beas waters issue as it was also a stakeholder.
It was decided during the meeting that the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana will meet in Chandigarh, on a date to be fixed later, for further talks on the issue, and will then go to the Union Minister again.
Putting forth Punjab’s stand during the VC, Captain
Amarinder said it was necessary to set up a Tribunal for a fair adjudication of
the water availability, and pointed out that the water-sharing proposed by
Eradi Commission was 40 years old, while international norms require a review
every 25 years to ascertain the status.
Noting that there had, in fact, been no adjudication or
scientific assessment of available Punjab river waters till date, the Chief
Minister said that BBMB had reported that availability of Ravi-Beas water had
come down from the estimated 17.17 MAF in 1981 to 13.38 MAF in 2013. Despite
being a non-basin state and having a smaller population as well as lesser
cultivated land area, Haryana’s total availability of river water stood at
12.48 MAF as against Punjab’s 12.42 MAF, he noted. He pointed out that
trans-basin transfer of water can only be allowed from a surplus basis to a
deficit basis, and, as of today, Punjab is a deficit state and could not
therefore be asked to transfer water to Haryana.
Captain Amarinder said he had taken a concerted decision to
terminate all water agreements back in 2004 to save Punjab from burning, amid
reports that violence could erupt in the state in protest. The situation had
aggravated since then, he said, adding that 109 of the state’s 128 blocks had
officially been declared `dark zones’. Pointing to the melting glaciers, he
urged the central government to take the climate change effects into account.
The situation was likely to worsen with China constructing dams in their
territory, warned Captain Amarinder, adding that this would lead to water
shortage even in Satluj river.
“Why would I not agree to give water if we had it,” he said,
adding that certain areas of south Haryana were, in fact, part of the erstwhile
Patiala estate and he personally had a special love for the region.
The Chief Minister recalled that he had suggested the construction of water storage dams in Himachal Pradesh for collecting water so
that the flow of water into Pakistan could be checked. He urged the Union
Minister to consider the suggestion.
The Union Minister was of the view that carriers could be constructed and SYL could also be completed and kept ready while discussions on water-sharing continues and the final formula could be decided later.
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