Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 14
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday vehemently opposed the choice of the Government of India (GoI), to waive off the circumstances of looking for No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for drawing water by Himachal Pradesh for Water Supply and Irrigation schemes.
In a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister stated it’s unlucky that the Union authorities had issued instructions to the Chairman of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on this regard on May 15, 2023. He stated vide these instructions, GoI has directed BBMB Chairman to cast off the current mechanism of NOC with the situation that the cumulative drawal by the Government of Himachal Pradesh, is stored under their analogous share in energy i.e. 7.19% as determined by Supreme Court.
Bhagwant Mann stated additional, BBMB shall solely perform technical feasibility examine for drawal of water by Himachal Pradesh for water provide/irrigation initiatives, if it entails engineering buildings of BBMB and convey the required technical necessities to Himachal Pradesh, inside 60 days from receipt of such request.
The Chief Minister stated that this resolution is totally unjustified, baseless and grave injustice with Punjab as a result of as per the water agreements, no water is required to be allotted to Himachal Pradesh out of the Sutlej and Beas. He stated that although the Supreme Court has allowed 7.19% share to Himachal Pradesh however that share solely relates to energy and no orders have been issued by the Apex Court concerning the sharing of water.
Moreover, Bhagwant Mann stated the sharing of water is an Inter-State dispute and no unilateral instructions will be issued to share the waters by the states.
The Chief Minister additional stated that BBMB was constituted beneath Section 79(1) of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, as per which the mandate of the board is just for administration, upkeep and operation of the dam and reservoirs viz. Nangal Hydel channel and Irrigation headworks at Ropar, Harike and Ferozepur.
He categorically stated as per the Act, BBMB will not be authorised to give any water out of the rivers to any state apart from the associate states including that Himachal Pradesh will not be a associate state.
Bhagwant Mann stated the waters of rivers Sutlej, Ravi and Beas have been allotted to Punjab, Haryana, J&Okay, Delhi and Rajasthan beneath separate agreements, and Himachal Pradesh can’t increase any declare on the waters of the stated rivers.
The Chief Minister stated the water of those rivers has been earmarked for particular areas of the associate states, and the allotted water is provided by a selected canal system.
He added that water is a state topic lined beneath Entry 17 of State list-II of the Constitution and the willpower or adjudication of rights of river waters fall within the unique jurisdiction of a Tribunal to be constituted by the Central Government as per the availability of the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, enacted beneath Article 262 of the Constitution, based mostly on a grievance raised by a State Government.
Bhagwant Mann stated the associate States of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have been very liberal up to now to present water out of the interstate provider channels to the Himachal Pradesh for consuming functions.
However, the Chief Minister bemoaned that GoI had by on the spot instructions additionally included the irrigation schemes. He recalled that throughout the earlier years, the BBMB has allowed launch of water on 16 completely different events to Himachal Pradesh. Bhagwant Mann stated that within the current circumstances when the water within the rivers is declining drastically yr after yr and there have been urgent calls for for water by all of the associate States particularly, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, above stated unilateral resolution of the Government of India wants to be reconsidered and withdrawn.
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