Leaders like Sukhbir, Jakhar 'enjoying feasts' amid farmers' protests: Mann

AS MANY AS 497 YOUTH WERE GIVEN APPOINTMENT LETTERS FOR GOVERNMENT JOBS

- HT Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday said the state cannot share even a single drop of water with other states as it is itself facing a crisis. Mann reiterated this stance during a meeting of the Ravi-Beas Water Tribunal, led by chairman justice Vineet Saran, with members justice P Naveen Rao and justice Suman Shyam and registrar Rita Chopra, in Chandigarh. The CM said Punjab has no surplus water to share and that reassessment of water availability is required according to international norms.

He said 76.5% (117 out of 153) of Punjab's blocks are over-exploited, where groundwater extraction exceeds 100%. In contrast, only 61.5% (88 out of 143) of Haryana's blocks face similar issues. The CM said most of the river resources in the state have dried up, so it needs more water to cater to its irrigation needs. He said the situation is so grim that Punjab only has scant water, which it is providing to the food growers.