Chandigarh, May 23 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday denied the reports about Punjab increasing river water supply to Rajasthan from the present 700 cusecs to 1200 cusecs and said that the state has no single drop of spare water to share with the other states.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the function, where the CM flagged off 98 emergency response vehicles, he said that Punjab was already making strenuous efforts to ensure optimum utilization of canal water in the state.
He added that the Sirhind Feeder that caters to water needs of the entire Malwa region had a capacity of only 5200 cusec of waters whereas Indira Gandhi canal which flows parallel to feeder had capacity
of 18,000 cusec of water.
Mr Mann said that if Rajasthan needed the water it could get its own share released because Punjab was already finding it hard to cater to the needs of its own farmers.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has announced to stage a protest dharna at Abohar on Wednesday against what it termed Mann’s “surrender on river waters” to Rajasthan.
A statement issued by the Party President Sukhbir Singh Badal said that he would lead
the dharna which will begin at
11 am.
Mr Badal was replying to questions by media persons on reports that the Punjab Chief Minister had committed to increase river water supply from Punjab to Rajasthan from the present 700 cusecs to 1200 cusecs. The reports had quoted the Rajasthan leader Hanuman Beniwal claiming that a commitment to this effect had been made by the Punjab CM during their meeting at Bathinda on Sunday, the SAD statement added.
