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Shivraj Patil urges Punjab, Haryana for dialogue to resolve water issue

Punjab demands a fresh tribunal to decide the share of Ravi-Beas waters between the two states

SHIMLA: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Tuesday urged the governments of Punjab and Haryana to amicably resolve their long pending water dispute through a flash dialogue, while both the States remained adamant on their respective stands on the issue.

Close on the heels of the recent Congress Chief Ministers' conclave in Chandigarh the water dispute issue again came to the fore at the Northern Zonal Council meeting here, where Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh suggested a fresh tribunal to decide the share of Ravi-Beas waters between the two states.

However, the Haryana Government reacted at once by issuing a press statement that it was tooth and nail opposed to the Punjab's proposal for a fresh tribunal.

Mr Patil told a press conference after the meeting, which was attended by the CMs and other representatives of the northern States, that he had advised both Punjab and Haryana to resolve the issue amicably through bilateral talks.

In response to a question, Mr Patil said there were certain decisions to be taken at the Central level and, thus, he would not like to comment on the Punjab's demand for a fresh tribunal.

Pointing out that the sharing of the inter-state river water has been included in the terms of reference of the new Commission on Centre-State relations, he said this new Commission would find out ways and means to resolve the issue, if both the states failed to form a consensus in this regard.

Mr Patil said that the meeting mainly discussed issues pertaining to water and power sharing, besides reviewing the progress of the recommendations made by the last northern zonal council meet held six years ago at Surajkund.

Besides demanding a fresh tribunal, the Punjab chief minister at the Council meet stated that Punjab was even ready for the dialogue with its neighbouring states on water sharing issue.

``It would be appropriate that the entire issue of water sharing is considered in its totality with due regard to the changed hydrological, ecological and sociological factors by a fresh tribunal,'' Capt Singh stated.

Justifying that Punjab had no more surplus water to share outside its domain, Capt Singh said any further sharing would have permanent adverse effects on Punjab's irrigation requirements and this would render nine lakh acres in the districts of Ferozepur, Muktsar, Faridkot, Moga, Sangrur, Mansa and Bathinda dry and barren.

He pointed out that the total availability of Ravi-Beas waters had declined from 17.17 MAF in 1980 to 14.37 MAF in 2000, while some of the states receiving water from other sources, there was no such scope for Punjab.

On the other hand, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda strongly opposed the Punjab's proposal for a fresh tribunal.

Mr Hooda urged the Centre to publish the award of Ravi-Beas tribunal already made.

He even demanded that the power generated from various multi-purpose hydro-electric projects, where surplus Ravi-Beas waters were being used, be given to Haryana also.

Haryana and Rajasthan, he said, should also be given benefit in the hydel projects of Anandpur Sahib, Shahpur Kandi, Mukerian, UBDC Stage-II, Thein Dam and SYL projects. -UNI

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