Punjab News- Badal alongwith jakhar submits Rs. 3327 crore integrated plan to PCI

FOR eradication of water-logging in South-Western Punjab
Chandigarh/New Delhi, October 4, 2013: The Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal along with the leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Sunil Jakhar today jointly posed an Integrated Plan of Rs. 3327.57 crore to the Planning Commission of India (PCI) for effectively addressing the problems related to the reduction of the sub-soil water level besides eradication and prevention of flooding immediately in the water-logged areas of South-Western Punjab.
Interacting with the high level team of the PCI led by its Deputy Chairman Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia in a meeting with the State Level Committee to check water-logging in South-Western Punjab headed by his Technical Advisor Lt. Gen (Retd) BS Dhaliwal here at Yojna Bhawan this evening, Mr. Badal said that the vexed issue of water-logging could not be sorted out without Central government assistance and cooperation rather it was practically impossible sans GoI’s support. He said, “The serious problem of water-logging should be declared as a National Project, to be efficaciously tackled through central funding in a National Special Area Program”. He further apprised the PCI team that the people living in this area were facing not only economic hardships but also several social problems, which may threaten to cause unrest and upheaval in the near future and if such a situation left unattended could become volatile.
Henceforth, the Chief Minister impressed upon the PCI to immediately approve the proposed plan and sanction requisite funds to enable the state government to check the menace of water-logging permanently in the Malwa belt. Badal called for concerted efforts to address these problems in water-logged areas of Punjab in a result-oriented manner and rescue this strategic and sensitive area from losing its potential as a ‘food and fruit basket’ for India.
Badal thanked the Leader of Opposition for lending his full support and cooperation for this noble cause and urged Dr. Ahluwalia to bail out Punjab and its people confronted with the peculiar problem of water-logging adding he said perhaps it was for the first time that the Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition of the state has joined hands on a common platform for the welfare of the state and its people.
Taking part in the deliberations, Jakhar said that the people of Punjab especially in the Malwa belt have been worst hit by the water-logging and now the onus to save them from this menace lies with GoI. Expressing gratitude to Badal, the leader of Opposition said, “Water-logging is a serious problem in Punjab which has now gradually engulfed the Suratgarh and Hanumangarh districts in Rajasthan. Therefore, the GoI must tackle this issue on the top priority in a much wider perspective rather than viewing it as a regional issue restricted to Punjab only.” He endorsed the proposal put forth by the Punjab Government to resolve the issue of water-logging holistically considering it as a ‘National Project’ as it has already spread in the vast tracts of Rajasthan adjoining West-Southern region of Punjab. He categorically said that the problem of water-logging was far above the petty politics and thus to save the Punjabis from this menace, Jakhar appealed one and all rising above the political affiliations to come forward to launch a crusade against this serious problem for the welfare of mankind.
Giving an account of unprecedented devastation caused due to nearly week long heavy rainfall from August 14-19, 2013 in Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Faridkot and Ferozepur districts, the Chief Minister informed the PCI that such an intensive rainfall had never taken place in the last 50 years in this area some of which was already water-logged. As per the Government’s estimates standing crops over an area of 3.14 lac acres have been damaged and 10,622 houses have suffered irreparable damage, besides loss of previous human life (15 persons) and live stock (391). An estimated amount of Rs.233 crore of relief work has been carried out in the area. Badal said, “The natural tragedy, due to the excessive rains, has caused unparalleled destruction and water-logging, due to which the entire economy of the region has been ruined thereby giving a fatal blow to the entire economy of the State, especially the Malwa Region.”
Badal informed the PCI that South-Western Punjab was a strategic area neighboring Pakistan. The sub-soil water level in this highly sensitive region has been constantly rising after the construction of the Sirhind Feeder (1954-55) and Rajasthan Feeder (1959-61).  In the past 50 years, it had risen from 150 feet below ground level and has almost touched the Natural Surface Level (NSL) at a few locations and was 15 to 20 feet below NSL in the remaining areas. The situation was reaching the tipping point as holistic steps have not been taken to resolve this issue.
The Chief Minister cautioned that in case integrated measures were not immediately initiated to arrest the rise of the sub-soil water, this extremely fertile agricultural land might become a waste land in the near future, which was unacceptable to us under any circumstances.
The Chief Minister reiterated that it was not feasible to resolve the problem of water logging without the Centre’s assistance and support adding he said the Union government must buttress the efforts of State government rather both have to work in close liaison to ensure satisfactory amelioration of the issue with missionary zeal. He mentioned that a similar problem, in 2011, was tackled by the State but now appeared to be recurrent due to Global warming and thus the South-Western Punjab was expected to experience very heavy rainfall in future, upsetting the ecological balance.       
Earlier, giving the break-up of Rs.3327.57 crore Integrated Plan to eradicate water-logging in the South-Western Punjab during his presentation, the Chairman of the high level committee Lt. Gen (Retd) BS Dhaliwal sought funds for the various works/projects for the eradication of water-logging in the region. (Annexure enclosed at the end)  
Sharing his concern over the issue of water-logging with the Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Ahluwalia assured them of resolving this issue on the highest priority. Assuring both the leaders of positive outcome, Deputy Chairman of PCI said that he would soon take up this issue with the Prime Minister and Chairman of Planning Commission of India Dr. Manmohan Singh for the approval of this gigantic project to save the farmers from the agony of water logging as it was looming grave social and economic implications, which needed be dealt with at the earliest without any further delay. He also asked the Member Planning Commission Dr. Mihir Shah to work out the modalities for seeking financial assistance from the World Bank for funding the anti water-logging works under this project. Meanwhile, CEO, National Rainfed Authority Dr. JS Samra shared his experiences about the various facets of water-logging and suggested measures to overcome it.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Principal Secretary SK Sandhu, his Technical Advisor Lt. Gen (Retd) BS Dhaliwal, Principal Secretary Irrigation Sarvesh Kaushal, Principal Resident Commissioner Punjab Bhawan New Delhi K. Siva Prasad and Chief Engineer Canals AS Dullat.