AAP criticises Govt for not having ‘State Water Policy’

| | Chandigarh
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AAP criticises Govt for not having ‘State Water Policy’

Wednesday, 14 November 2018 | PNS | Chandigarh

Accusing Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress Government of being directionless on the issue of water management in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday lashed out at the powers-that-be for not having any ‘State Water Policy’ yet.

“The State is facing acute water shortage due to destructive attitude of Akali and Congress Governments in the past and at present,” said the senior AAP leader and Sunam MLA Aman Arora.

Terming the ‘State Water Policy’ as the need of the hour, Arora said that as the water obtained from natural resources is going waste, the excessive use of groundwater will turn the state’s land into barren.

“In comparison to available 17.54 MAF of groundwater, every year, Punjab’s 14 lakh tube wells are pulling out 29.01 MAF of water that is leading to 40 cms depletion of water level every year,” he pointed.

Arora, accompanied by the party’s core committee chairman and MLA Principal Budhram, MLA Sarabjit Kaur Manuke, MLA Manjit Singh Bilaspur and MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori, said: “It is shameful for Punjab that Akalis and the Congress, who are doing politics over the issue of water for last 37 years, since 1981-82 to 2017-18, have failed to utilize water of its available share assigned as per the anti-Punjab water agreement of 1981.

Presenting the facts, Arora said that out of its total share of 245.62 MAF water in last 37 years, Punjab has used 227.67 MAF water, that is 17.95 MAF and eight percent lesser than the assigned quota that could have irrigated 1.25 lakhs acres of land of the state.

On the contrary, Haryana has taken 141.87 MAF water against the total share of 132.19 MAF in the last 37 years, which is eight percent more than the assigned share.

Accusing the former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Capt Amarinder of cheating the Punjabis, he said that these so-called ‘saviours of waters’ have enjoyed power on the issue of waters, but failed to protect the state’s rights.

Arora said that the people of Punjab had high hopes from the recent visit of Capt Amarinder Singh to Israel, but the Chief Minister has not yet made it public about the MoUs signed for the welfare of State during his visit.

“There is no doubt that Israel has obtained a higher place in the area of water management and despite facing acute water shortage and draughts, Israel with its intelligent and extraordinary technique, has successfully saved the people of the state. Chief Minister must have asked Isreali authorities to help the state to recharge its ground water,” he said.

Arora said that while Punjab needs to resort to world class technology in the area of water management at present, but also the bigger concern is to work towards adopting water recharge techniques as the water level is depleting in the state with every passing day.

 He accused that the situation the state is facing today is the outcome of faulty water sharing agreements signed with neighbouring states in the past. “Even Rajasthan and Haryana have water policies for their state, but an agrarian state like Punjab lacks it,” he said.

 Arora ridiculed Capt Amarinder saying that he took political gains by cancelling water treaty in 2004, but Punjab could not get any benefit from it as the Congress Government did not defend it properly.

 “The State must have prepared a ‘ground water use policy’ for Punjab to raise the level of groundwater in the state,” said Arora while asking the State Government to bring a water policy without wasting more time so that Punjab could be saved from turning barren.

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