Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], May 3 (ANI): Amid the ongoing water-sharing dispute between Haryana and Punjab, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday said that politics should not be done in the name of drinking water. He expressed dismay over the issue being politicised, stating that Haryana is merely asking for its rightful share.
Saini said that he didn’t know that politics can go to such an extent that it will be done in the name of drinking water and stated that the state government is not asking for canal water for just one person but for the society and 2 crore 80 thousand people of Haryana.
“Politics shouldn’t be done in the name of drinking water…we didn’t know that politics could go to this extent that a question mark arises on drinking water…we are not asking this canal for one person but it is for the society and 2 crore 80 lakh people of Haryana…we are not asking any extra water…we are asking same ratio of water which used to be given to Haryana earlier…we will sit and talk with all the leaders. It is unfortunate that drinking water is being stopped”, CM Saini told reporters.
The statement comes after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann raised concerns on May 1 over decreasing water levels in key reservoirs. He mentioned that the water levels in Pong Dam, Bhakra Dam, and Ranjit Sagar Dam are 32 feet, 12 feet, and 14 feet below last year’s levels, respectively.
Mann also lashed out at the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) for directing Punjab to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana. CM Mann strongly opposed the directive, stating that Punjab is already grappling with its own water needs due to the upcoming paddy sowing season and declining groundwater levels.
Amidst the escalating concerns over Punjab’s water rights, Bhagwant Mann had called an all-party meeting on May 2 to discuss Punjab’s water rights. Additionally, the Punjab government is likely to call a special session of the Assembly on Monday to table a proposal addressing the issue.
Furthermore, the state unit of the Congress party has extended its support to the Punjab government.
“We never stopped the water for 10 years… But if there is a water shortage in Punjab, it is natural that we will prioritise Punjab… Maybe Delhi and Haryana need more water, but we have already released their share of water. We are with the people of Punjab and the Punjab government on this topic. If they will steal our water too, then what will be left of the state?”, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said on Thursday. (ANI)
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