Is Haryana Misleading the Public About Water Sharing?

Chandigarh, May 3 (NationPress) The Punjab Water Resources Minister, Barinder Kumar Goyal, strongly criticized Haryana on Saturday for disseminating false narratives concerning the water-sharing dilemma.

Goyal presented all relevant facts on the subject, emphasizing that Punjab has not denied anyone their rightful share and will not compromise its own rights nor yield to pressures from the Centre or Haryana. He made it clear that the interests of Punjab take precedence for the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, asserting that only Punjab holds rights over its water resources.

Expounding on the matter, the Minister informed the press that water distribution from dams has been managed based on stored volumes for nearly 44 years. This year, Haryana was allocated 2.987 MAF of water, which it has already fully utilized. He pointed out that Haryana has exceeded its designated share by consuming a total of 104 percent of its water allocation, mentioning that the Punjab government has been communicating with Haryana since January regarding this issue and has kept the Union government in the loop.

Goyal noted that a letter was sent on March 17, cautioning Haryana about its imprudent water usage, which could result in challenges in the future. However, instead of enhancing its water management, Haryana consumed its entire water allocation by the end of March.

On March 31, Haryana made a request for 1,500 cusecs of water for its population of 2.8 crore, based on a standard of 135 litres per person per day.

They also requested 1,149 cusecs for Delhi and cited additional demands for industry and livestock, totaling a request of 4,082 cusecs. As a humanitarian gesture, the Punjab government began releasing 4,000 cusecs of water for Haryana starting on April 4 to address drinking water needs, but Haryana's current demand has escalated to 8,500 cusecs, which is unfeasible for Punjab to fulfill.

Goyal remarked that Haryana claims previous administrations provided this quantity of water. He stated that past governments failed to safeguard Punjab's water resources, and Punjab was not even utilizing its own share back then. However, since the Chief Minister Mann administration took office, continuous efforts have been made to ensure that water reaches Punjab's agricultural fields. Over 16,000 watercourses have been constructed and revitalized, and more than Rs 4,550 crore have been invested in developing canal infrastructure, with an additional Rs 3,264 crore allocated for this year.

“Through these measures, we are ensuring that Punjab's water does not go to waste in other states, allowing it to nourish the fields in Punjab, which will enhance farmers’ productivity while also initiating groundwater conservation. All these facts clearly demonstrate that Punjab neither violates anyone's rights nor relinquishes its own,” he concluded.