Punjab govt. planning to release more water for Haryana in BML, suggest media reports

Chandigarh/ Patiala: There are reports in media which suggest that Punjab government led by Parkash Singh Badal has surrendered before the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led government in Haryana on river waters issues. As per media reports the height of the Bhakra main line canal (BML) embankment is being raised near Khanauri in Sangrur by one-and-a-half feet by the Punjab Irrigation Department.

“The work will ‘ensure that Haryana gets more water for its tail-end villages’, notes a report by The Tribune.

As per media reports Haryana will Haryana will start getting 1,450 cusecs of water from May 1, instead of around 1,050 cusecs that it gets now.

A report in Hindustan Times (HT) notes that ‘sources’ in Punjab irrigation department has confirmed that the Haryana Government has already paid money for the work to the Punjab Irrigation Department.

The work is expected to complete the work before April 30.

According to The Tribune: [s]ources said the Haryana Government had already paid Rs 3.7 crore to the Punjab Government and it was expected to release another Rs 95 lakh to complete the work.

“The Barwala link canal, which was getting around 1,000 cusecs of water so far, will start getting 1,450 cusecs after the work is completed by the Irrigation Department on the canal that falls in Punjab but belongs to Haryana,” The Tribune quotes unnamed sources.

Farmer unions, including the Bharti Kisan Union, have raised the issue of Punjab officers trying to hastily complete the work that will allow more water to Haryana. They alleged efforts were on to pressure Punjab through the Union Government for the release of more water. “The Irrigation Department is not following all norms and we apprehend this will keep fields in Punjab dry as more water will go to Haryana,” they said.

People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal has questioned Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal seeking public explanation on this issue.

“What has added to the mystery is the admission by the officials working on the site that the raising of the embankment had been funded by Haryana and it is being done on a war footing by bringing soil from far-off places,” Manpreet said.