`State Water Policy’ need of hour, government must form it on priority basis: Aman Arora

Faulty water management exposes the real anti-farmer face of Akali, Congress Ludhiana, December 2, 2018: Accusing Captain Amarinder Singh led Congress government of being directionless on the issue of water management in the state, the senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and MLA Sunam, Aman Arora said that even though being the agrarian state, the Punjab government has not yet made any 'State Water Policy' for Punjab. He said the state is facing acute water shortage due to the destructive attitude of Akali-Congress government in the past and at present. Terming the 'State Water Policy' as need of the hour, he said that as the water obtained from natural resources is going waste and the excessive use of ground water will turn the land of state into barren. In comparison to available 17.54 MAF of groundwater, every year Punjab's 14 lakh tube wells are pulling out 29.01 MAF of water that is leading to 40 CM depletion of water level every year. In a press statement issued from party headquarters, Aman Arora, said that it is shameful for the Punjab that Akali-Congress who are doing politics over the issue of water for last 37 years (1981-82 to 2017-18) have failed to utilize the water of its available share assigned as per the anti-Punjab water agreement of 1981. Presenting the facts, he said that out of its total share of 245.62 MAF water in last 37 years, Punjab has used 227.67 MAF water that is 17.95 MAF and 8% lesser than the assigned quota that could have irrigated 1.25 Lakhs acres of land of the state. On the contrary, Haryana has taken 141.87 MAF water against the total share of 132.19 MAF in the last 37 years, which is 8% more than the assigned share. Accusing Parkash Singh Badal and Capt Amarinder Singh of cheating the Punjabis he said that these so-called 'Saviors of Waters' have enjoyed power on the issue of waters but failed to protect the rights of state. Arora said that people of Punjab had high hopes from the recent visit of Capt. Amarinder Singh to Israel but Captain has not yet made it public about the MoUs signed for the welfare of state during his visit. There is no doubt that Israel has obtained a higher place in the area of water management and despite facing acute water shortage and draughts, Israel with its intelligent and extraordinary technique has successfully saved the people of state. The CM must have asked Isreali authorities to help the state to recharge its ground water. Arora said that while Punjab needs to resort to world class technology in the area of water management at present but also the bigger concern is to work towards adopting water recharge techniques as the water level is depleting in the state with every passing day. He accused that the situation that the state is facing today is the outcome of faulty water sharing agreements signed with neighboring states in the past. He said that even Rajasthan and Haryana have water policies for their state but an agrarian state like Punjab lacks it. Arora ridiculed Captain Amarinder Singh saying that he took political gains by canceling water treaty in 2004, but Punjab could not get any benefit from it as Congress government did not defend it properly. He said that the state must have prepared a 'ground water use policy' for Punjab to raise the level of groundwater in state. He asked the Punjab government to bring a water policy without wasting more time so that Punjab could saved from turning barren.