Punjab Chief Minister Confronts Centre at NITI Aayog Over Water Rights

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, during the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, raised critical issues concerning water rights, industrial incentives, border development, and pending financial dues.

- TARUNI GANDHI CHANDIGARH

Mann urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address these concerns to ensure equitable treatment for the state.

WATER RIGHTS AND YAMUNA-SUTLEJ LINK Mann emphasized Punjab's severe water scarcity, asserting that the state has no surplus water to share. He proposed constructing the Yamuna-Sutlej Link (YSL) canal instead of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, noting that Punjab's rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—are already in deficit. Citing a 1954 agreement between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, he highlighted Punjab's entitlement to two-thirds of Yamuna waters. Mann pointed out that post-1966 reorganisation, Punjab's claim to Yamuna waters was ignored, unlike the waters of Ravi and Beas, which were allocated to Haryana. He urged the inclusion of Punjab in negotiations for Yamuna water allocation and the construction of storage structures to prevent wastage.