The Hindu : 'Haryana has legitimate share in Ravi-Beas waters'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 09, 2004

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Other States - Haryana

'Haryana has legitimate share in Ravi-Beas waters'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, FEB.8. A senior river valley expert, A.N.Malhotra, today questioned the views disputing Haryana's claims on Ravi Beas river waters.

In a statement issued here today, Mr. Malhotra asserted that Haryana had a legitimate share in Ravi-Beas waters. In fact, Haryana had a right to be allotted additional water, which the Eradi Tribunal found available and usable below the rim stations.

He elaborated by saying that river basin comprises areas from where water flows or water is used or is usable. `'A river valley is separated by a ridge. Course of a river keeps changing. At some stage, the river Satluj used to flow where the Ghaggar is flowing nowadays. The boundary of Indus Basin stands accepted by the Centre, the concerned States, the Eradi Tribunal and also by the Supreme Court of India. Haryana and Rajasthan are part of Indus Basin,'' he said. He pointed out that earlier, when the question of sharing of the Indus water arose between India and Pakistan before the Indus Water Treaty was signed between the two countries, India in anticipation distributed Ravi-Beas waters on January 29,1955 when erstwhile State of Punjab including PEPSU was given 7.2 M.A.F of waters and Rajasthan 8.0 MAF of waters.

In fact, the division of waters of the Indus system between India and Pakistan through the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 was made on the basis of the Indus basin concept and the basin includes present Haryana.

Mr.Malhotra said: "the Eradi Tribunal was constituted in accordance with the Punjab Accord signed on July 24,1985 between the then Prime Minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi, and Sant Harchand Singh Longowal. Initially a single member Tribunal was constituted by Government of India but later Parliament amended river water disputes Act 1956 and a specific section was introduced for the constitution of Tribunal. Punjab accepted the constitution of the Tribunal and presented its case. Haryana canvassed its claim before the Tribunal that Haryana had legal right on these waters both as a successor State and a co-basin State.

He said that the views being expressed that the Ravi Beas waters belonged to Punjab only were baseless as these waters belonged to all the States of the Indus Basin. "The Eradi Tribunal considered all the objections raised by Punjab and finally accepted the claim of Haryana on these waters. In fact, Haryana had a right to be allotted additional waters, which the Tribunal found available and usable below the rim stations'', he said. He hoped that after the award of the Tribunal and judgement of the Supreme Court, Haryana would get its due share of Ravi Beas waters.

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