Haryana, Rajasthan has no right on river waters of Punjab: Badal

MIDDHA (Sri Muktsar Sahib) : Terming that grave injustice was done by Congress with the state during successive water sharing agreements, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that Haryana, Rajasthan or any other state has no right on river waters of Punjab.
Addressing the public gatherings during Sangat Darshan in Lambi assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that the successive Congress governments in the centre and state completely ignored the universally accepted Riparian principle while signing these agreements due to which Punjab was denied of its legitimate right in river waters. He said that if Punjab had not been sharing existing water with Rajasthan, Haryana and other states then there would hardly have been any problem of depleting ground water in the state. Mr. Badal reminded the people that in absence of adequate canal water they had no other option then pumping out water through tube wells thereby putting ground water situation in state in alarming state.
Reiterating the firm commitment of state to protect waters of the state, the Chief Minister once again avowed to make every sacrifice to protect the river waters of the state. He categorically said that Punjab doesn’t have a single drop of spare water for anybody. Mr. Badal said that Akali Dal had been continuously opposing the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal agreement, which robbed the water of state, from day one adding that now also they were firm to their stand to not allow the construction of this canal at any cost. The Chief Minister further said that water was basic ingredient of life and any such move to share the river waters of the state would be disastrous as it would ruin Punjab. He said that while doing the agreement of the SYL canal the then Congress government at the centre completely overlooked the universally accepted Riparian Principle on river water sharing. “Every Punjabi must be ready to oppose this move and all of us should pledge to protect the waters of the state at any cost” added Mr. Badal.