Clamour for revival gains support

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 4

Over six years after the Congress regime of Bhupinder Singh Hooda “scrapped” the ambitious Ambala-Naraingarh Irrigation scheme, chorus for its revival is gathering momentum.

The scheme is considered to be a lifeline of the Shivalik Region comprising Ambala, Panchkula and Yamunanagar districts. Acting on a representation of the Shivalik Vikas Manch (SVM), a social organisation taking up issues of this region, Haryana Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar, who represents the Jagadhari assembly segment, has written to CM Manohar Khattar pleading for the revival of the scheme.

Senior government functionaries told TNS that the BJP government was ‘favourably inclined’ to the irrigation needs of this region, which was largely rain-fed and where the underground water table had dropped considerably over the years. In fact, at a meeting of the Shivalik Development Board recently, the CM had underlined the commitment of his government for the development of the region which had faced step-motherly treatment during the 10 year Congress regime, an official added.

Vijay Bansal, SVM president, urged the CM that the irrigation scheme for Yamunanagar, Bilaspur, Sadhaura and Raipurpur Rani areas was the need of the hour as a majority of the farmers had small land holdings and were dependent upon rainfall for their crops. They could not afford to install tubewells, he added.

On August 8, 2006 the government had approved the Rs 300 crore Ambala-Naraingarh Irrigation Scheme and referred it to the Central Water Commission (CWC) for clearance.