'Stop Injustice Against Punjab': CM Bhagwant Mann Raises Water Issue At NITI Aayog Meeting (VIDEO)

New Delhi: Chandigarh: Flagging various key issues including that of rivers' water and Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB), Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann who attended the 10th governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog in New Delhi on Saturday, held Punjab has no surplus water to share with other states.

Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end what he termed as the Union government’s injustice towards Punjab, Mann also raised several other key issues concerning the state.

Espousing for the construction of Yamuna-Sutlej-Link (YSL) canal instead of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal – so as to divert water from surplus to deficit basins -, the chief minister held that Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers are already deficit.

He said that Punjab has repeatedly requested to be included in negotiations for the allocation of Yamuna waters as a pact for YSL project was signed between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on March 12, 1954 which entitled the erstwhile Punjab to two-thirds of the Yamuna waters.

He also sought Centre’s assistance in the much-needed desilting project of Harike head works, a major water reservoir - located at the confluence point of rivers Sutlej and Beas – which is the main control point for supply of water to South west Punjab, Rajasthan and also controlling flow into Pakistan.

He said that over the years the sedimentation of suspended silt and sand particles in the reservoir has drastically reduced the capacity of the reservoir and the backwater effect of the water required for optimal operation of canals is now being felt up to Kapurthala district adding that large swaths of agricultural land along the Sutlej and Beas are becoming susceptible to flooding.

Taking on BBMB for what he alleged, its biased approach, he said that the BBMB had ignored Punjab’s request to regulate water release to Haryana and the board’s decision to release 8,500 cusecs water to Haryana was against the law.

For record, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan get their water share from Bhakra and Pong dams managed by BBMB which decides the annual quota for the trio states from May 21 to May 21.

Mann also expressed concern over the deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Nangal Dam and held that it would further erode Punjab’s rights.

Mann also urged the Central government to consider Punjab’s demands including special industrial for border districts, infrastructure grants and enhanced compensation for farmers.