Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Seeks Share In Indus Waters
Participating in a meeting at Shram Shakti Bhawan in Delhi, the Chief Minister reiterated that Punjab's groundwater has been critically over-exploited, with 75% of its blocks declared overdrawn, and called for a comprehensive reassessment of the water availability in line with international norms.
Mr Mann strongly opposed the construction of the contentious Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and instead proposed an alternative - the Yamuna-Satluj Link (YSL) - which he said would better serve the needs of water-deficient regions without burdening Punjab.
He suggested that water from the Yamuna and Ganga should be diverted to Punjab, as the Satluj river has already dried up and cannot support any water-sharing commitments.
Highlighting Punjab's critical role in national food security, Mr Mann emphasised that the state has made extraordinary contributions, supplying nearly 47% of wheat and 24% of rice to the national pool in 2024. He stressed that this service to the nation must be compensated, especially as Punjab has exhausted its natural water and soil resources in the process.
The Chief Minister also proposed that the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty by the Government of India should be used as an opportunity to utilise water from western rivers like the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. He advocated for constructing new dams upstream of Bhakra and Pong to better regulate and store water, ensuring Punjab receives priority in future river water allocations.
Further, Mr Mann recommended reviving the long-pending Sharda-Yamuna Link project. He explained that surplus water from Sarda could be routed to Yamuna and used to meet the water requirements of Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan. This, he said, could eliminate the need for the SYL canal and help avoid potential law and order issues in Punjab, where the SYL remains a deeply sensitive issue.
Mr Mann also pointed out that while Punjab receives only 40% of the water from its rivers, the remaining 60% is allocated to non-riparian states like Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan. He said Haryana already receives 5.95 Million Acre Feet (MAF) from Punjab's rivers, along with 4.65 MAF from the Yamuna and 1.62 MAF via the proposed Sharda-Yamuna Link.
With Punjab facing flood-related damages annually, the Chief Minister urged that the state should be compensated by partner states. He also called for a review of all past agreements and tribunal decisions every 25 years as per international environmental norms.
Finally, he demanded Punjab's inclusion in Yamuna water-sharing agreements post-2025 and emphasised that the YSL canal is a more sustainable and logical solution to North India's water crisis.
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