Vehemently pleading the case of the state before the Ravi Beas Water Tribunal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday categorically said that the state does not have a single drop of water to share with the other states.
During a meeting with the Tribunal led by Chairman Justice Vineet Saran, Members Justice P Naveen Rao and Justice Suman Shyam along with Registrar Rita Chopra, the Chief Minister reiterated that the state has no spare water to share with any other state and there is no question of sharing even a single drop of water with anyone.
He said that Punjab has no surplus water to share with any other state and reassessment of availability of water is required as per international norms. Bhagwant Singh Mann urged the Tribunal, which is on a visit to the state for site visit of the Ravi water system, to deliver justice to the people of the state.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab’s 76.5% blocks (117 out of 153) are over exploited where the stage of ground water extraction is more than 100%, whereas in Haryana only 61.5% (88 out of 143) are over exploited. He said that as most of the river resources of the state have dried up so it needs more water to cater to its irrigation needs.
However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the situation is so grim that Punjab only has scant water, which it is providing to the food growers.The Chief Minister said that in such a scenario there is no question of sharing even a drop of water with any other states.
He said that the state Government has emphatically presented the issue of the less availability of water on every platform adding that it is imperative to protect the rights of our coming generations. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the Punjab government is duty bound to ensure that the interests of the state and its people are safeguarded by all means and no stone will be left unturned for it.
The Chief Minister apprised the Tribunal that river Yamuna like rivers Ravi and Beas also flowed through the erstwhile state of Punjab before re-organization but while apportioning the river waters, between Punjab and Haryana, Yamuna waters were not considered, whereas, Ravi and Beas waters were duly taken into account for the apportionment. He said that the state has been requesting for its association in negotiations for allocation of Yamuna waters, but our request has not been considered on the ground that no geographical area of Punjab falls in Yamuna basin.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Haryana is not the basin state of the rivers Ravi and Beas, but Punjab is forced to share waters of these rivers with Haryana adding that if Haryana gets Ravi-Beas waters being a successor State of Punjab, on the same analogy, Yamuna waters should also be shared with Punjab being a successor State.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is making strenuous efforts to use the canal water for irrigation purposes. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that at the time he assumed the charge of office only 21% canal water was being used in the state. However, he said that it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that today 84% of the canal water is being used for irrigation purposes.
The Chief Minister said that due to strenuous efforts of the state government the ground water level has started increasing and as per a report of the Union government it has witnessed an upward enhancement of one metre. He said that farmers are being encouraged to adopt crop diversification by coming out of the rut of wheat/ paddy circle.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he has pleaded with the Union government to give MSP to the farmers on alternate crops to boost the crop diversification.The Chief Minister said that the state contributes 180 lakh Metric Ton Rice in the national food pool thereby ensuring food security in the country.
However, he bemoaned that after taking the grains from the state, the farmers of Punjab are blamed for creating pollution by burning paddy straw. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is unwarranted and undesirable as the hard working and resilient farmers of the state have played a key role in making the country self-sufficient in food production.
The Chief Minister said that besides being the nation’s food bowl, Punjab also has a distinction of being the sword arm of the country and its people are well known all over the world for their courage, resilience and spirit of enterprise.
He said that every inch of this sacred land has the footprint of great Gurus, saints, seers and martyrs, who have shown us the way to oppose tyranny, injustice and oppression. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab inherits rich cultural legacy and is known world over for its warm hospitality.