New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has categorically rejected a proposed plan to divert surplus water from J&K’s western rivers to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan via a 113 km canal.
Addressing reporters, Abdullah emphasised the region’s pressing water shortage, saying, “Right now, Jammu is facing water scarcity. There is no water in the taps. Why should I send water to Punjab?”
He invoked the 45-year-old unresolved dispute over the Shahpur Kandi barrage in Pathankot, built to channel the Ravi river into Punjab. Recalling Punjab’s past reluctance to share water, Abdullah asked, “Did they give us water?”
Abdullah further asserted, “We will use the water first, and then we will think about others.” He stressed that J&K’s water needs must take precedence, and criticised the repeatedly unequal distribution of such a vital resource in the region.
Unequitable distribution of water across several regions
Responding to J&K CM, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria responded strongly, saying, “I don’t think the water supply can be stopped just because someone is saying it. If this dispute had been between two countries, it would be understandable. But this is not acceptable in the same country. Some people getting more water than others in the same country—I don’t think this reflects our culture,” NDTV quoted him as saying.
Backing Kataria’s remarks, Punjab Minister Ravneet Bittu stated that it is the central government, not Jammu and Kashmir, that determines water distribution policies.
Escalating dispute over water sharing
The broader water-sharing dispute has been intensifying since AAP-ruled Punjab refused to release additional water to BJP-ruled Haryana, alleging that Haryana had already exceeded its allocation by 103 per cent as of March.
The Haryana government had demanded 8,500 cusecs of water, but Punjab denied the request, citing its own water scarcity.
“We do not have a single drop to spare,” said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, adding that Punjab is facing its own water crisis.
Water levels in Punjab’s Ranjit Sagar Dam have dropped 39 feet below last year’s levels, while Pong Dam is down by 24 feet, NDTV reported.
