General News
Punjab Water Crisis: New Tube-wells banned in 18 blocks
April 6, 2012 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
Ludhiana, Punjab (April 06, 2011): As per media reports eighteen administrative sub-units called blocks have been notified by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) banning any new bores for drawing underground water in Punjab.
As per information Ludhiana tops the list and worst affected is Sangrur district where the board has notified 8 blocks for banning new bores. Punjab has total 137 blocks and around 100 of these are already been listed as dark zones due to over exploitation of underground water.
According to the list issued by the CGWB, Malerkotla, Sherpur, Sunam, Dhuri, Sangrur, Mehal Kalan Ahmedgarh and Barnala blocks have been notified.
Apart from Moga 1, Moga 2 and Nihal Singh Wala blocks of Moga, Pattran block of Patiala, Khanna of Ludhiana and Phagwara block of Kapurthala district have also been included in the notified list after recent survey and studies by the CGWB.
The CGWB regional director A K Bhatia said the areas which had crossed the classification of “Critical” and “Over exploited” were being notified by the board.
As the board has sounded the alarm bell, experts are now batting for taking immediate and stringent measures to ensure that underground water table is recharged.
Dr G S Dhillon, former director of Irrigation Research Institute and former chief engineer, said, not only dependence of canal irrigation should be increased, but it should also be ensured that water should flow in the canals of the state throughout the year except the rainy season.
“Quantum can be reduced when less water is required for irrigation, but it should remain in distributaries throughout the year, so that water can keep on recharging the underground water table,” he said. “The seasonal drains like Kali Bein, Chitti Bein should also be flowing with clean water to save the situation,” he added.
It is notable Punjab’s river water is allocated to other non-riparian states of India in violation of riparian rule, provisions of Indian constitution and other laws. This unfair treatment has resulted in huge economic losses to the state’s economy and due to its compulsion to use ground water, Punjab is heading towards ecological disaster.
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Related Topics: Punjab Water Crisis
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