PM Modi plays people’s card for resolving water crisis

In less than 24 hours of the meeting of Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana over the vexed issue of sharing of rivers waters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has a bit of advice for the people and ruling parties of the two States.

He says water should serve as an issue of cooperation and coordination between the states.

Recent directions of the Apex Court notwithstanding, the complex and sensitive issue of sharing of rivers water  remains far from resolution. Very little work has been done to argue various points raised by either of the parties in support of their claims.

With the passage of time, the stands of the State governments – Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh – have been stiffening than showing any flexibility or keenness to resolve the stalemate through dialogue.

Dynamics of the  natural water sources and channels have changed substantially. The quantum of water available from natural channels has reduced as the dependence  has increased on underground or subsoil water to meet irrigation and other needs.

As expected, the meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, refused to progress beyond the known rhetoric. Both parties continue to harp on the same stands as they did 20 or even 30 years ago. Punjab has been continuing to maintain that it does not have an extra drop of water to give it to Haryana or for that matter to Rajasthan or Delhi. On the other hand, Haryana was still firm on its demand that Punjab should follow the Supreme Court directions and complete the civil works of the nearly abandoned Sutlej Yamuna Link canal.

No ice was broken when Bhagwant Mann and Manohar Lal Khattar met early this week. Going by the present indications, no solution looks possible in the immediate future. It may remain emotive and controversial as the country heads for the 2024 general elections.

It is in this context perhaps that the Prime Minister has chosen a different approach by seeking common man’s involvement in  the larger issue of water conservation.

This may be a strategic move in playing  down the water disputes at least for the time being. For both Punjab and Haryana, water is both sensitive and precious as it is the main input for the farm sector in the agrarian economy of the two States.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  used  the first national conference of state water ministers  to discuss and prepare for the looming water crisis. Without taking sides, he urged governments to ensure people’s participation in the water conservation movement along the lines of the Swachh Bharat campaign.

Prabhjot Singh