Malwa Canal discussed at North Zonal Council meet

Water-sharing issues dominated the meeting of Standing Committee of the North Zonal Council held here today. The issue of the new ‘Malwa Canal’ in Punjab was also discussed at the meeting.

Inter-state issues were discussed, but these remained inconclusive. Apart from officials of Punjab, led by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, officials of Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Delhi attended the meeting. This was a precursor to the North Zonal Council meeting under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in November.

Haryana officials raised the issue of sharing the DPR of the ‘Malwa Canal’ to be built in Punjab, but Punjab argued that they would use only their share of water and there was no need for it, Haryana said with reference to Nangal Agreement in 1959 that Punjab has to share every matter with Haryana.