Congress leaders split over dam on Ghaggar

Manish Sirhindi

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 17

The construction of a dam on the Ghaggar near Banur seems to have become a bone of contention between Congress legislator from Rajpura Hardiyal Kamboj and former Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly Bir Devinder.

While Kamboj had been at the forefront of protests to get the constriction work on the dam started, which will benefit 40,000 acres in the Rajpura and Banur segments, Bir Devinder today stepped out in support of farmers of 86 villages living downstream Ghaggar. The farmers are opposing the construction, claiming that the dam would render their fields dry.

Conceived in 2006, the Rs 66-crore project funded by NABARD will divert around 130 cusecs to fields in Rajpura and Banur areas.

Kamboj said the project was passed by the Congress government, but was delayed by the Akalis.

He said he raised the issue in the state Assembly, following which the government gave a go-ahead to the project.

He claimed that the villagers had been “misguided” as there would be enough water in the river to irrigate their fields even after 130 cusecs were diverted to benefit Rajpura and Banur villages.

On the other hand, Bir Devinder said, “I have raised the farmers’ issue as they have the first right on the water of the Ghaggar. Before diverting the waters to irrigate lands in other parts of the state, the government should have addressed their concerns.”

Meanwhile, the villagers are continuously holding protests against the project and had even blocked NH1 to get it stalled. The villagers claim that the water flow in the river remains less then 350 cusecs all year round and diverting it would mean little or no water to irrigate their fields.