Canal water use in Punjab rose to 88% from 22% under Bhagwant Mann govt: AAP

Punjab AAP leader Baltej Pannu on Thursday accused the previous Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP governments of ignoring the state's depleting groundwater levels and allowing its canal irrigation network to deteriorate, news agency PTI reported.Pannu said the Bhagwant Mann government had made canal restoration a priority and increased the use of canal water from 21-22 per cent to nearly 88 per cent. He said the move had reduced dependence on groundwater and helped improve the water table.“Experts had been warning for years that Punjab's groundwater was depleting at an alarming rate, but the previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments paid no attention,” Pannu, the AAP's Punjab media in-charge, said.He alleged that the previous governments allowed canals, minor canals and smaller channels to disappear, forcing farmers to extract excessive groundwater and putting water availability for future generations at risk. “Those who put up huge hoardings claiming to be the protectors of Punjab's waters were actually the ones who robbed Punjab of its water resources.

Their actions exposed the difference between their public claims and their actual record on protecting the state's interests,” he said.Pannu said the AAP government, after taking office in Punjab in 2022, directed officials to restore canal water supply on a priority basis. “Our government traced distributaries that had been buried under soil and laid approximately 14,000 kilometres of pipelines to ensure that canal water reaches farmers' fields. This has reduced dependence on groundwater, helped farmers avoid repeatedly deepening borewells and contributed to an improvement in the water table,” he said.He said restoring canal irrigation was not merely an infrastructure exercise but was essential to conserve groundwater, protect Punjab's agricultural economy and secure water for future generations.Referring to the recent Punjab Assembly session, Pannu said resolutions concerning the state's river water rights were introduced on the final day. “Historic resolutions concerning Punjab's river water rights were introduced on the final day of the Assembly session, but Congress deliberately remained outside instead of standing with Punjab on this crucial issue,” he said.He said that even after the session ended, the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and other political parties did not give a clear response to the resolutions.Pannu also accused the BJP of seeking to take away Punjab's rights while remaining silent on the resolutions, adding that every political party claiming to represent the state's people must answer the issues raised.Explaining the resolutions, Pannu said they demanded Punjab's legitimate share of Yamuna waters.

He also said that, as a riparian state, the state government must retain complete control over the management and maintenance of the Ropar, Harike and Ferozepur headworks located within the state.- Ends