Punjabwillburnifyougoahead with SYL canal:capttocentre
Demands setting up of tribunal for fair adjudication of river water availability; terms Eradi Commission proposal outdated, as international norms require review every 25 years
norms require a review every 25 years to ascertain the status, he pointed out.
Noting that there had, in fact, been no adjudication or scientific assessment of available Punjab river waters till date, he said that Bhakra Beas management Board (BBMB) had reported that availability of Ravi-beas water had come down from the estimated 17.17 million acre feet (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 against Punjab’s 12.42 MAF, he noted. “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,” he said.
The CM 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’.
“Why would I not agree to give
water if we had it?” he questioned, adding that certain areas of south Haryana were part of the erstwhile princely state of Patiala and he personally had special love for the region.
Recalling that he had suggested construction of water storage dams in Himachal Pradesh for collecting water so that the flow of water into Pakistan could be checked, Amarinder urged the Union minister to consider the suggestion.