Rajasthan refuses to accept more floodwater from Punjab

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, July 17

For decades, Haryana and Rajasthan have been demanding their share of the river waters from Punjab. However, today, when it came to the brink, Rajasthan refused to accept the full flow of water through the Rajasthan feeder, while Haryana is allegedly creating hurdles in the plugging of a breach in the Ghaggar near a village in Fatehabad.

Information gathered by The Tribune reveals that Rajasthan is willing to take just 1,500 cusecs of water through the Rajasthan feeder against its capacity of 18,000 cusecs. With the dams filling up slowly, it is imperative for the water to be released in canals, but the neighbouring state refuses to accept more water.

Ready to take just 1,500 cusecs

• Rajasthan is willing to take just 1,500 cusecs of water through the Rajasthan feeder against its capacity of 18,000 cusecs
• With dams filling up, it is imperative for the water to be released in canals, but the neighbouring state refuses to accept more water

This has prompted the Punjab Government to shoot off a letter to the Rajasthan Government pointing out that the state is facing severe floods. This letter, sent to the Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Department, Rajasthan, says that it is the utmost priority of Punjab that the dam levels are brought down in a controlled and planned manner.

“In this scenario, Rajasthan needs to draw the maximum share of water from the Rajasthan feeder canal, fulfilling its own long-standing demand for the supply of floodwaters to Rajasthan so that the excess water which is causing large-scale flooding in Punjab can be utlised. In case Rajasthan does not draw water from the Rajasthan feeder, there is no option with Punjab but to let the water to flow downstream to Pakistan,” says the letter.

It further states, “It is requested that the maximum water may be withdrawn from the Rajasthan feeder canal to avoid completely or at least limit the flow of the water into Pakistan”.

Similarly, in Haryana, where a breach in the Ghaggar was reported near Chandpur village in Fatehabad, a team of Punjab Government and Army personnel have not been allowed to plug the breach, even though a number of villages in both states are getting flooded.

“The breach falls within the territorial jurisdiction of Haryana. If it is plugged, villages in both Haryana and Punjab will be saved from floods. However, the District Magistrate, Fatehabad, has passed orders under Section 144 of the CrPC after which the district administration there is not allowing a team from Punjab to plug the breach,” says a letter shot off by the Punjab Water Resources Department to Haryana.