Chandigarh: The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal along with the leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. 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. Mr. 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.
Mr. 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.
· Both leaders ask PCI to declare Water-logging as a national project
· Resolution of Water-logging practically impossible without central government’s assistance and support
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Taking part in the deliberations, Mr. 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 Mr. 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, Mr. 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.
Mr. Badal informed the PCI that South-Western Punjab was a strategic area neighbouring 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 was accompanied by his Principal Secretary Mr. SK Sandhu, his Technical Advisor Lt. Gen (Retd) BS Dhaliwal, Principal Secretary Irrigation Mr. Sarvesh Kaushal, Principal Resident Commissioner Punjab Bhawan New Delhi Mr. K. Siva Prasad and Chief Engineer Canals Mr. AS Dullat.