Raja Warring: Prepare strategy to save water, can’t let Punjab go dry

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Thursday said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should prepare an effective strategy to save state’s water as “it can't be let go dry”.

He warned that people too were averse to the idea of allowing extra water to flow to other states. Warring said Haryana had already been provided its rightful share of water.

“We cannot let our own state go dry to provide water to others,” he said assuring full support and cooperation to the government to deal with the situation emerging from the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s decision to release additional 8,500 cusec water to Haryana.

Referring to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) decision of staging protests and dharnas over the issue, he said it was “just a drama” aimed at diverting the public attention.

“When you are in the government, why do you need to stage any dharna?” he asked. Warring also accused the AAP government of hypocrisy, claiming it had a “secret understanding with the BJP”, which was exposed when it evicted farmers from two protest sites on the state’s border points with Haryana.

“When you already have such an understanding with the BJP, why do you need to enact the drama of staging protests?” he asked the AAP leadership while warning them against surrendering of Punjab’s share of water to any other state.