Non-riparian states should pay royalty to Punjab, says MP

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 7

Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi has demanded that non-riparian states, including Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana, should pay royalty to Punjab for using its waters so that the state could be saved from becoming barren by introducing drip and sprinkle irrigation systems at a large scale.

Quoting a recent NASA survey, Gandhi said Punjab was already in the dark zone due to over-exploitation of underground water to meet agricultural needs.

Claiming that Punjab was now becoming a victim of the ‘Green Revolution’, Gandhi said non-riparian states should shell out money as ‘royalty’, which could be used to undo the damage that the state had already suffered.

Making an appeal to the people of Punjab to unite for demanding royalty as per riparian laws, the MP said water was the only natural resource that the state had and it had been robbed of the same by the subsequent governments at the Centre.

Putting up a strong case in support of his claims, the MP said in 1955, the Union Government declared 158.5 lakh acre feet water of the Ravi and the Beas unutilised. Out of this, 80 lakh acre feet water was given to Rajasthan without any royalty or compensation through an arbitrary order.

He said before partition, states of Bikaner, Patiala, Nabha and Jind used to pay royalty to Punjab till independence.

He said till 1966, all rights of Punjab over Bhakhra-Nangal and Beas projects were usurped by the Centre, violating all international and national riparian laws and even the Indian Constitution.

In 1976, out of the remaining 78.5 lakh acre feet water, 6.5 lakh acre feet was given to Jammu and Kashmir, which was a riparian state and remaining 72 lakh acre feet was divided among Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

He said Punjab was given 35 lakh acre feet and non-riparian Haryana also got 35 lakh acre feet and the remaining 2 lakh acre feet was given to Delhi. As a result, Punjab with 100 per cent riparian rights was left with only 20 per cent waters, which was a grave injustice.

He said with actual water in reservoirs decreasing drastically due to climatic changes, the state should step up a campaign to seek royalty from the non-riparian states so as to save Punjab from becoming completely barren in the years to come.

Punjab becoming victim of ‘green revolution’

Claiming that Punjab was now becoming a victim of the ‘Green Revolution’, Gandhi said non-riparian states should shell out money as ‘royalty’, which could be used to undo the damage that the state had already suffered.    

What Gandhi says

Putting up a strong case in support of his claims, the MP said in 1955, the Union Government declared 158.5 lakh acre feet water of the Ravi and the Beas unutilised. Out of this, 80 lakh acre feet water was given to Rajasthan without any royalty or compensation through an arbitrary order.