Farmers resent water flowing to Pakistan

Our Correspondent

Abohar, May 18

Upset over the fact that water from Punjab was being “allowed” to flow into the Kasur area of West Punjab, a province in Pakistan, at a time when the needs of Indian farmers are not being fulfilled, the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (KSS) has sought intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat into the matter.

Samiti spokesman Subhash Sehgal said in the past, Bhakra Dam had a storage capacity ranging from 1,462 to 1,690 feet, Pong Dam 1,260 to 1,420 feet and Ranjit Sagar Dam with 527 feet capacity, all of these were constructed to meet the needs of farmers and consumers in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. However, in the past two decades, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has reduced the water level in Bhakra Dam by 15 feet to prevent flooding. Due to inadequate water management, thousands of cusecs of water was allowed to flow to Pakistan through Ferozepur headworks in May.

Sources say at least 18,000 cusecs of water was also allowed to flow towards Kasur area, in neighboring West Punjab, in April this year, the KSS said.

The samiti said at present, water level in Bhakra Dam and Pong Dam was less than the average capacity. Sowing of cotton and guar crops had been going on in the three beneficiary states and paddy sowing was also expected to start from May 25. Farmers in the three states would need 65,000 cusecs of water. The Central government should intervene immediately to ensure availability of water, as some of the canals were running dry, the samiti demanded.

Sehgal said Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who hailed from Rajasthan, was apprised of improper water management early this year. In the past, farmers had produced video clips also of water flowing to Pakistan side from headworks in Punjab. The Central government leaders had assured that not a single drop of water would be allowed to flow to Pakistan.