New Delhi [India], July 9 : Stressing that Punjab needs more water to cater to its irrigation needs, as most of the state's river resources have dried up, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday sought a share for the state in Indus waters and mooted the idea of Yamuna-Satluj Link (YSL) canal instead of Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal project.
Mann said that the situation was so dire that Punjab had only scant water, which it was providing to food growers, adding that in such a scenario, there was no question of sharing even a drop of water with any other state.
Participating in a meeting held here at Shram Shakti Bhawan, the Punjab CM reiterated that the state has no spare water to share with any other state and there was no question of sharing even a single drop of water with anyone.
According to a release, he stated that Punjab has no surplus water to share with any other state and that a reassessment of water availability in the state is required in accordance with international norms. Mann stated that most of the state's blocks are overexploited, and the groundwater situation in the state is dire.
Meanwhile, he again proposed that the Indus Waters Treaty should be reconsidered, and efforts should be made to bring water from the Western Rivers to India to meet the growing water demand.
The Chief Minister said that the opportunity of the Indus Water Treaty Suspension must be duly utilised to fulfil the water needs of the state. He said that the recent decision by the Government of India to suspend the Indus Water Treaty opens up the possibility of greater utilisation of water from the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) within Indian territory.
Mann said that Punjab, which is currently facing groundwater depletion, must be prioritised in any future strategies for the usage, diversion, or allocation of river waters.
The Chief Minister stated that the waters of the western rivers should be allocated to Punjab on a priority basis, and new storage dams should be constructed upstream of the existing Bhakra and Pong Dams in Himachal Pradesh. He said that this will significantly enhance the storage and regulation of western river waters.
Mann said that it is the need of the hour so that Punjab, which has overexploited its only available natural resources in terms of water and fertile land, is duly compensated, thereby making the country self-reliant in food production.
The Chief Minister stated that the long-conceived Sharda-Yamuna Link project needs to be taken up as a priority, and surplus water be transferred to the River Yamuna at a suitable location. He said that the additional water available could offset the balance water requirement of Haryana from the Ravi-Beas system, apart from addressing the ever-growing drinking water requirement of the capital city of Delhi and the availability of the Yamuna water to the state of Rajasthan.
CM Mann said that under the aforesaid eventuality, again, the issue of the construction of the SYL canal could be shelved and put to rest forever.
The Chief Minister stated that to cater to Haryana's demands, the Sharda-Yamuna link should be constructed to transfer surplus Sharda water to the Yamuna River, and Chenab water can be diverted to the River Beas through the Rohtang tunnel, thereby eliminating the need for the SYL canal.
He said that proceedings with respect to the SYL matter of 1996 may be kept in abeyance till the decision of the Ravi-Beas tribunal is awarded. Mann said that the MoU of May 12, 1994, on the allocation of Yamuna waters between Delhi, UP, HP and Rajasthan is going to be reviewed after 2025.
Mann demanded that Punjab be included as a partner state in Yamuna water allocations, and that 60 per cent of the surplus Yamuna waters be considered for the State of Punjab when apportioning the Yamuna waters.
The Punjab CM said that instead of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, the project should now be reconceived as the Yamuna Satluj Link (YSL), as the Satluj River has already dried up and there is no question of sharing even a single drop of water from it. Rather, Mann said that water from the Ganga and Yamuna should be supplied to Punjab through the Satluj river.
The Chief Minister stated that the SYL canal is an 'emotive issue' and that Punjab will face serious law and order problems, which will escalate into a national issue, with Haryana and Rajasthan also being affected. He categorically stated that Land for the SYL canal is not available as of today, adding that out of 34.34 MAF of water from the three rivers, Punjab was allocated only 14.22 MAF, which is 40 per cent.
Mann said that the remaining 60 per cent was allocated to Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan, even though none of these rivers actually flow through these states.
The Chief Minister said that agreements and decisions of tribunals should be reviewed in light of changed circumstances and environmental developments, as international norms mandate a review every 25 years. He stated that Punjab's claim to a share of Yamuna water is similar to Haryana's share of Ravi-Beas waters, as the Irrigation Commission Report, Government of India, 1972, held that Punjab is a riparian state to the Yamuna River.
Bhagwant Mann lamented that the Government of India is of the view that the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, is silent about the Yamuna Waters, as these waters were not considered shareable between Punjab and Haryana.
This comes after Mann held a meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini here.