MP Selja slams state govt over drinking water crisis

MP Kumari Selja has raised serious concerns over the growing drinking water crisis in Haryana, particularly in districts such as Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jhajjar, Jind, Rewari and Mahendragarh. She highlighted the situation in rural areas, where residents are being forced to rely on costly private tankers due to insufficient canal and tubewell supplies.

Selja criticised the state government for its failure to clean and repair canal systems in a timely manner. She said while water was recently released from the Bhakra Nangal Dam through Punjab, the supply is only temporary. “By the time water reaches the tail-end areas, the canals would be shut again,” she warned, stressing that proper maintenance could have ensured a more consistent water supply across affected regions.

On March 27, Selja wrote to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, urging him to ensure the cleaning and repair of canals supplying water to Sirsa district, especially in the Ellenabad and Rania regions. Despite her warnings, she said the government took no action, leaving hundreds of villages grappling with a severe drinking water shortage.

Selja also pointed out that 14 districts in Haryana, including Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Panipat, are in the “dark zone,” where groundwater levels have dropped drastically.

In Fatehabad, rural residents receive water only once every two to three days, and private tankers are charging between Rs 500 and Rs 800 for a single delivery.

“Haryana relies on canal and tubewell water, but people are now being forced to buy drinking water,” Selja said. She urged the state to press Punjab for additional water from the Nangal Dam and develop long-term solutions to address both drinking and irrigation needs.