The Union Government today decided to treat Satluj river at par with river Ganga in the prestigious National Mission for cleaning and development of rivers across the country.The decision regarding was taken by the Union Water Resources Minister Ms. Uma Bharti in a meeting with the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, who called on the former at her office here today at Shram Shakti Bhawan.Taking part in deliberations the Chief Minister expressed concern over the polluting of the river Satluj, which was a sacred river for Punjabis. He apprised the Union Minister about the steps being taken by the state government to check the pollution of this river. Soliciting the support of the Union government for this noble cause, Mr. Badal said that this daunting task could not be accomplished without the active support of the Centre. The Chief Minister sought a Special Package for cleaning of rivers in the state on the pattern of the package envisaged for the River Ganga.
Acceding to the demand of Chief Minister, Ms. Bharti announced that the Union government would treat river Satluj as a model river adding that every effort would be made to clean this river on the pattern of sacred river Ganga. She assured Mr. Badal that the centre government would make all out efforts to clean this river of Punjab adding that no stone would be left unturned for this holy cause.On another issue flagged up by the Chief Minister pertaining to the completion of work of channelization of river Ghaggar in the state, Ms. Uma Bharti assured him that a meeting of the Central Water Commission (CWC) would be soon convened in this regard to ensure the expedite completion of this work so that the people of area could be safeguarded from the scourge of floods. The Union Minister said that she would personally ensure that this work was completed expeditiously in the larger public interest.
Raising another issue, the Chief Minister also demanded a major central initiative for canal rehabilitation project in the state, amounting to an amount of nearly Rs 4900 crore. He apprised that the canal system in the state was over 100 year old and as a result the major water arteries in the state had got either choked or clogged and their water carrying capacity had been severely reduced, in some cases as much as 20%. This, Mr. Badal said, had increased the pressure on ground water irrigation which had resulted in an alarming fall in the water table in the state. The Chief Minister said that this had brought the state on the brink of a majorecological disaster and dangerous threat of the entire state turning into a desert in the next few decades.
The Chief Minister said that the work on rehabilitation, extension, renovation, modernization of various Canal Systems, restoring storage capacity of reservoirs required an amount of Rs. 4128 crore which, he said, should be sanctioned at the earliest. He sought early approval to the plan for extension, renovation and modernization of Canals being fed from River Sutlej at a revised cost appraisal of Rs. 844.93 crore.The Chief Minister also requested that the balance amount of Rs 2096crore which was pending from the central assistance recommended throughDr. Mihir Shah Report for water logged areas in Punjab may be cleared soon. He said that Dr. Mihir Shah Member Planning Commission had visited the water logged areas and submitted a report to the GoI under which Rs 3056 crore central assistance was given to the state. The Union Cabinet had accepted that reportand Rs 960 crore have been sanctioned but the balance was still pending.The Chief Minister also sought a comprehensive review of the AcceleratedIrrigation Benefit Program (AIBP) guidelines. He said the clause regarding prior permission of Planning Commission for projects should be removed. Similarly, the impracticable and inadvisable condition which states that the state must incur 50% expenditure before claiming balance 50% was coming in the way of smooth implementation of government plans and making it difficult to plan a time schedule for completion of projects.Similarly, he said the condition of maintenance of canals by Water users associations is not practical.
Badal also sought sanctioning of Rs. 160 crore Consolidated Project Proposal for Flood Protection Works on River Ravi. Planning Commission has already granted approval to the project. In addition, the Chief Minister also sought the release of one-time special grant of Rs 62 crore for Shah Nehar Project.The Chief Minister sought the release of back-log of Central Share for Construction of Field Channels of Bathinda Branch Feeder part-II and Sirhind Feeder part-II. He said that there was an urgent need to revise the guidelines of Command Area Development and Water Management. Mr. Badal said that the previous norms of Rs 15,000 should be revised to Rs 25,000 per hectare for the construction of field channels.Responding to the issues raised by Mr. Badal, the Union Minister assured him of fulsome support and cooperation by the Centre government over all these issues. Terming Punjab as the role model of Irrigation for the entire country, she said that the Union government would make all out efforts to rejuvenate the canal and irrigation system in the state.The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Advisor on National Affairs and Media Mr. Harcharan Bains, Chief Secretary Mr. Sarvesh Kaushal, his Principal Secretary Mr. SK Sandhu and Special Principal Secretary Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar.