Demand to review 1981 agreement opposed

The Sriganganagar chapter of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has opposed the Punjab Government’s demand to amend the BBMB agreement signed among partner states over river water sharing in 1981.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann had recently said that the water allocated to the partner states under the agreement was much more than the actual water available in the rivers. So, a new agreement must be signed over water sharing.

An SKM delegation met Reena Chhimpa, Additional District Collector, Sriganganagar, under the leadership of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti spokesperson Subhash Sehgal on Monday.

Sehgal said Punjab had refused to accept the BBMB decisions, besides demanding amendments to the 1981 agreement. The move was not in the interest of Rajasthan, especially Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner districts. He appealed to the farmers to be ready for an agitation against any move to cut Rajasthan’s water share.

Kisan Army convener Maninder Singh Mann said Punjab’s control on the Gang Canal water at Ferozepur had led to a crisis for farmers. If sowing was not done on time, farmers would be financially hit.

Kisan Sabha district general secretary Gurcharan Singh said the water flowing to Pakistan from the Ferozepur headworks should be immediately stopped.