AAP: Rs 12 Cr for Water Management in Punjab

The residents of Faridkot receive water after a gap of 10 days.

- TARUNI GANDHI

It was on July 23 2019, when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from the Kotkapura constituency reached the Deputy Commissioner of Faridkot, Kumar Saurabh Raj, with a bottle filled with black, contaminated water. The situation has not changed a bit; the same brackish, stinking water is still being supplied to the people of Faridkot and Kotkapura.

Faridkot, often hailed as the nursery of Punjab politics, now finds itself at a crossroads of broken promises and an escalating water crisis. From the days of Giani Zail Singh to Parkash Singh Badal, and now with the emerging political face of Kultar Singh Sandhwan, the district has been home to many prominent leaders who rose through its political ranks. These leaders, once campaigning for the betterment of the people, especially in areas concerning potable water, now seem distant from the plight of their citizens.

Faridkot is not just a geographical location; it is a political symbol in Punjab. The district, named after the Sufi saint Sheikh Farid, has been the cradle of political careers that shaped the state’s destiny. It was here that many politicians made their first mark, riding high on issues that mattered most to the people—issues like water supply. However, once these politicians reached the heights of power, the very district that nurtured their careers became a victim of neglect.