Why new canal when old ones are dry? asks BKU

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 25

For a state like Haryana that is not getting adequate water for its canals, the announcement to construct a Rs 300-crore Mewat canal appears beyond comprehension.

Irrigation and Panchayat Minister OP Dhankar had made the announcement recently in Gurgaon.

The state’s irrigation system gets water through two main sources — Haryana Contact Point (HCP), from where water from Bhakhra Dam enters Haryana and Western Jamuna Canal (WJC).

The WJC supplies water to Yamunanagar, Karnal, Painpat, Sonepat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Mahendragarh, Narnaul, Rewari, Jind, Bhiwani, and some parts of Hisar and Hansi.

“The new canal will not solve water woes of residents. Of what help will be new canals when no arrangement has been made for adequate supply of water?” said Bhura Ram, state general secretary, Bharatiya Kisan Union, Haryana.

The figures for 2016 show that water supply has decreased over last year. On May 1, 2015, the WJC had received 4,643 cusecs of water. And on this May 1, the state received 1,891 cusecs of water.

The data for May 2015 show that Haryana received water in the range of 5,823 to 9,625 cusecs of water, but in 2016, the supply of water has been in the range of 1,519 to 3,308 cusecs till date.

At the HCP, the demand is not being met. Against the demand for 9,700 cusecs of water between May 14 and May 20, the authorities received 9,350 cusecs on May 14, 9,529 cusecs on May15 and 9,643 cusecs the next day.

The minister, however, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

‘Project to improve groundwater’

Rewari: Meanwhile, Agriculture and Irrigation Minister OP Dhankar has said water would be brought to Ahirwal through Yamuna. Addressing mediapersons here on Thursday, he said the state government had prepared a project worth Rs 3,000 crore to improve the ground water level besides ensuring water supply to villages situated at the tail end of the canals in south Haryana. TNS