No extra river water allowed to flow to Pakistan: Punjab minister

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, July 3

Punjab has denied allegations levelled by neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan that it is unwilling to share river waters with them, but allowing India’s share of river water flow into Pakistan.

Not a drop of extra water from any of the rivers was allowed to flow to Pakistan, asserted Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer here today. It was only in case of heavy rainfall or flooding of the river that excess water could be released towards Pakistan, he said.

For the past many months, Haryana and Rajasthan have been accusing Punjab of letting India’s share of river water flow to Pakistan in order to deny them their share of river water. During the Congress rule in Punjab, the issue of 600 cusecs of water flowing to Pakistan was raised by the state government with the Centre. The Congress government had demanded construction of a dam at Makora Pattan on the conglomeration of the Ravi and Ujh rivers.

The then government had said that a 7 km-long channel should be constructed to carry water to the Kalanaur Ramdas canal. However, officials of the Punjab’s Water Resources Department have denied this and stated that they were monitoring the flow of water.

“The Punjab Government has been strictly monitoring the release of water at all contact points with the international border. It is being ensured that no water flows downstream to Pakistan from Hussainiwala, Madhopur or Harike,” the state government clarified to the neighbouring states via demi official letters, copies of which are available with The Tribune.