by Haryananewswire (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, JULY 13
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today urged the
Central Government to request the Supreme Court to expedite its decision on the
issue of Presidential Reference concerning Ravi Beas waters as it is the only
reference which is pending for more than seven years.
The
Chief Minister who was speaking in the 26th meeting of Northern Zonal Council
presided over by Union Home Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram here today, said that
Government of Punjab decided to terminate all the inter-state agreements
pertaining to the Ravi-Beas water in the year 2004 and the
Presidential Reference in this regard is still pending before the Supreme
Court.
Mr
Hooda also urged Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal to
start the work on the link between Anandpur Sahib and the Ropar Thermal Plant,
so that Haryana is able to carry its share of water through BML as per the
original project report of the SYL canal.
Mr
Hooda said that in his opinion, storages should be constructed on the
tributaries of river Ravi. The second Ravi-Beas link should also be
constructed at the
earliest.
He
also pointed out that Punjab is not delivering
Haryana’s full share in the Ravi-Beas water. He said, “As we all
know, Haryana is a water stressed State. As against the demand of 36.0 MAF
water, the availability of water is only 14.7 MAF. On one hand
Haryana has to give, out of its own share in the Yamuna waters, extra water
to Delhi in compliance of the Apex Court’s orders, on the
other, Punjab is not delivering Haryana’s full share in
the Ravi-Beas water. This is in spite of two orders and Judgements
of the Court in the SYL canal matter.
He
said that the supplies in river Yamuna are dwindling over the recent years.
There is no dam on the river and, therefore, precious water goes
waste during the monsoon season. “I reiterate my earlier request that
Government of India should expedite the construction of three dams, namely,
Renuka, Kishau and Lakhwar-Vyasi on river Yamuna. The water stored in these
dams will help in meeting the drinking water and irrigation requirements of the
arid areas of Haryana as also the ever- increasing drinking water
demand of the NCR’ added Mr Hooda.
Mr
Hooda said that the surplus Ravi-Beas waters were distributed by the Government
of India between different States, as the waters of the eastern rivers came for
an exclusive use by India, after signing of the Indus Water Treaty
with Pakistan. The State of Punjab, along with other States, was allocated
surplus Ravi-Beas waters by Government of India, in addition to its existing
utilization, on account of its then large arid areas, which now
form a part of Haryana. Therefore, the riparian principle of sharing
of surplus waters of Ravi and Beas does not apply in this
case and the contention of the State of Punjab that these waters
belong to Punjab only, is not correct.
“As
I have been stating on various other forums, in order to assess the requirement
of critical inputs like water and power, the entire NCR should be treated as
one integrated whole. As such Ganga water should also be made
available to the NCR of Haryana, he added.
He
said that another significant point he would like to flag is that even after
signing of the Indus Water Treaty in 1960, more than three MAF of water is
being allowed to flow intoPakistan. In his opinion, storages should be
constructed on the tributaries of river Ravi. The second Ravi-Beas link
should also be constructed at the earliest.
The
work on Hansi-Butana canal was started by Haryana Government to carry water
from the BML canal out of Haryana’s own share in the Ravi-Beas water
to the lift canal command for the dry and arid southern Haryana to ensure
equitable distribution of the available water. Although this project has been
cleared by the Central Water Commission from all angles, the canal is rendered
non-functional due to an order by the Supreme Court in the suit filed by the
State of Punjab against this project, although it does not affect
them in any manner. Haryana at present is able to utilize only 1.62 MAF out of
its allocation of 3.5 MAF in the Ravi-Beas waters through the BML canal. The
balance share of Haryana is being utilized by default by Punjab and Rajasthan,
at Harike. Punjab draws more than 1000 cusecs of water from the
Nangal Hydel Channel for its Ropar Thermal Plant which should have been drawn
through a link from the Anandpur Sahib Hydel channel/SYL canal allowing Haryana
to carry more water for itself as well as also for Rajasthan through
BML. “I will urge Chief Minister, Punjab to start the work
on the link between Anandpur Sahib and the Ropar Thermal Plant, so that Haryana
is able to carry its share of water through BML as per the original project
report of the SYL canal. The drinking water for Chandigarh is also to
be carried from Anandpur Hydel Channel/SYL canal for which a suitable link
needs to be constructed. This will also facilitate carrying the drinking water
for Mohali town.
Mr
Hooda pointed out that Haryana is supplying quality water
to Delhi, but in return, Haryana is getting extremely polluted water
from Delhi at Badarpur border both in Gurgaron
and Agra canals. The permissible limit of BOD in water is 3.0
milligram per litre. Haryana is supplying water having BOD ranging from 1.2 to
2.7 milligram per litre, but is getting back BOD ranging from 12 to
38 milligram per litre. This indeed is a serious matter and must be addressed
on priority, added Mr Hooda.
Mr
Hooda said that industrial effluents released from the Bhiwadi Industrial Area
in Rajasthan are causing threat to the nearby Maheshwari and Malpura villages
of Haryana. Therefore, he urged Union Government to ensure
that Rajasthan State 
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