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Challenge of water shortage must be met
The editorial “The water challenge” (April 30) aptly portrayed the alarming scenario of water shortage in Punjab and Haryana. The two states need to step up rainwater harvesting, sprinkler irrigation, water recharge and recycling. The government and
non-government organisations should help make water conservation a way of life. The farmers must be urged to get back to traditional crops instead of sticking to the water guzzler paddy. Indeed, the environmental fallouts should be considered before increasing the MSP of a crop. Besides, the misuse of incentives such as free power must be checked. The two states should also urgently curtail the ownership rights of groundwater in order to prevent its over-exploitation. RAJNI SHARMA, Jalandhar City
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II Indeed, growing population is the primary cause of water shortage. Basically, we, the people are responsible for the paucity but the governments too have done pretty little in the matter. Daily we see full-page advertisements with the ministers taking credit for the achievements that are yet to materialise. Half the effort to popularise family planning would be more useful to the state and the country. The government policy is responsible for the (mis)use of free power. Nor can farmers be blamed for selecting crops most beneficial to them. It is state pricing that is at fault. One need not wait for 2030 to see the cities as “dry stinking holes”. These holes are already there in parts of the cities of the state. Dr LR SHARMA, Jalandhar City III Water shortage is a matter of serious concern in Punjab and Haryana. With the projected population of 1.7 billion by 2050 in India the role of water in meeting the needs of food, fuel and fibre is obvious. The recent report of the Planning Commission states that the demand groundwater would go up considerably. Only 433 billion cubic meter of groundwater is replenishable annually. Serious efforts have to be made to recharge the ground water by adopting the rainwater harvesting system. There is a need to prevent water wastage not only in irrigation but also for domestic use. Despite the shortage of water, we are still following the “flood system” of irrigation. The total area of crop is flooded with water thus causing a huge wastage of water. We must switch over to sprinkle and drip irrigation system. The farmers can be motivated to switch over to this system if the government provides subsidy. We must conserve water and use it gainfully. Wastage of water should be dealt with a heavy hand. Capt AMAR JEET KUMAR, SAS Nagar CBI’s role It is regrettable that Congress leader Jagdish Tytler who was indicted by the Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission for his role in the Sikh riots after the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, has been acquitted by a Delhi court by accepting the CBI’s clean chit (editorial, “Tytler escapes: CBI role remains questionable”, April 29). Was the evidence relied upon by the Nanavati Commission to indict Tytler for the 1984 Sikh massacre not enough to punish him by the trial court that the latter accepted the clean chit given by the CBI? Once again, it has been established that the CBI acts according to the wishes of the ruling party and not as an independent investigating agency. It is a blot on the state and the judicial system that for the past quarter of a century, the culprits and abettors of the massacre are roaming free. LAJPAT RAI GARG, Panchkula
Clarification This has reference to the newsitem appeared in Chandigarh Tribune under the heading "Sons of banker held for snatching mobile" (December 23, 2004). In this regard, we may clarify that as per the court orders, dated September 16, 2005, in the court of Justice Sri Ram Kumar Singla, Judicial Magistrate, both Mr Ashish Talwar and Mr Anmol Talwar were acquitted in the mobile snatching case. Sudesh Talwar, Chandigarh |
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