To ensure optimum harnessing of the Ravi-Beas waters flowing into Pakistan, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh wanted the Central Government to take lead. He suggested setting up of a technical panel of experts to work out ways to restrict the flow of water into the neighbouring country.
Chief Minister’s reaction came in the backdrop of the letter written by his Haryana counterpart Manohar lal Khattar on the issue asking Punjab to regulate the flow. Capt Amarinder made it clear that his government would take every possible step to secure more water for the state, but things are not in Punjab’s control.
Pointing out that melting of ice leads to rise in the water levels in three rivers of Ravi, Beas and Satluj, causing it to flow into Pakistan, Capt Amarinder said that he had raised the issue with the Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari suggesting storage of the excess water in dams in Himachal Pradesh to check its flow into Pakistan.
“Gadkari had asked us to store water. But we don’t have land appropriate to do that. Rather, the water can only be controlled and stored in Himachal by building dams, and they can release the same during paddy season when we need water. And we are ready to give any possible help and assist them in the matter,” said Capt Amarinder adding that the Centre need to take initiative in the matter.
It may be noted that under the Indus Water Treaty, 1960, India has been allowed unrestricted usage of available water in rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. Significant quantum of water of Ravi was flowing across the international border through tributaries like Ujh, Jallialia, Tarna etc joining the Ravi downstream of the rim station at Madhopur.
The quantity of water of Ravi river flowing across the international border was assessed to be 0.58 MAF. In 2015, the Punjab Government has submitted a report giving two alternatives — firstly, pump water from Makora Pattan to UBDC at RD 79,000 ft, involving lift of 85 feet over the distance of 30 Km; and secondly, pump water from Jainpur to UBDC at RD 79,000 ft, involving lift of 96 ft over the distance of 32Km.
Further, a High Powered Steering Committee for implementation of National Projects, chaired by Secretary (Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation), constituted a team comprising officers of Central Water Commission and Centre’s Irrigation Department on March 3, 2017, to visit the site of proposed Second Ravi Beas link Project and submit a feasibility report.
The team visited the site on December 5, 2017, and observed that harnessing the waters of Ravi was in national interest, and from among Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers, the greatest scope for utilization of unharnessed waters was in Ravi and technical feasibility of transfer of water from Ravi to Beas needed to be ascertained.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar on Sunday had said that he had written to Capt Amarinder to join hands in checking the wasteful flow of Ravi waters to Pakistan in view of the water crisis in both the states.
The two states are already at loggerheads on the issue of constructing Sutlej-Yamuna link (SYl) canal. The matter is currently pending in the Supreme Court.