M A I N   N E W S

Water levels reach nadir, says BBMB
By Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 27 — The Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB) has sounded the alarm bell. It has asked the beneficiary states to exercise restrain in withdrawing their quota of water for irrigation as the water level in Gobindsagar has reached 1647.57 ft, the lowest in the past seven years.

In 1993 the water level in the lake was 1628.84 ft on September 20. The ideal water level for this time of the year is 1680 ft.

The worst-hit state so far is Rajasthan, according to sources in the BBMB, while Punjab and Haryana are still comfortable. Rajasthan is fed mainly by the Pong Dam, where the level of water this year is just 48 per cent of what it was last year. The water level in Gobindsagar (Bhakra) is said to be 80 per cent of that of last year, which again was not a good year as far as rainfall is concerned. This year too is following the pattern of a dry year.

The BBMB authorities are so far releasing 18,300 cusecs from Gobindsagar daily and 6,000 cusecs from Pong Dam.

The sources say in view of the severe drought which has hit Rajasthan, the BBMB had released additional 500 cusecs to that state every day last month. If the winter rains fail, Rajasthan is in for bad days.

Haryana has been drawing 8300 cusecs daily from the Bhakra system so far. However, it has decided to reduce the withdrawal to 5500 cusecs every day from January 1, so as to meet any eventuality in case of the failure of winter rains.

The Yamuna irrigation system, which supplements the Bhakra system for Haryana, too is short of water this year. The water available in the Yamuna system this year, the sources say, is approximately half of that available in 1998. It is less by about 1000 cusecs this year as compared to 1999. The usual practice in the Haryana Irrigation Department is to supplement one system by the other in case of shortfall. This year the availability of water in both systems is far from satisfactory.

The water shortage has put the skills of the Irrigation Department in managing limited water resources to test. The sources say under the directions of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, who as Irrigation Minister, is personally monitoring the situation, the Deputy Commissioners and the Superintendents of Police in the districts have been actively involved in checking of water theft.

The incidence of water theft increases at the time of sowing, often leading to clashes among farmers or denial of canal water to those beneficiaries who are on the tail of the canals. To check this menace, the district administration at many places ordered “thikri pehras” along canals and other irrigation channels.