Water crisis sparks farmer outrage, protests organised

Under the banner of the Kirti Kisan Union (KKU), farmers staged protests against the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) decision to allocate more water to Haryana. They submitted memorandums to their local MLAs, urging them to raise the issue in the upcoming special session of the Vidhan Sabha and push for a permanent solution to the river water crisis.

Farmer leaders stated that with the special session of the Vidhan Sabha approaching, they have called on their representatives to press the government for a solution to the issue. Memorandums were submitted to Congress MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and SAD MLA Ganieve Kaur, urging them to exert pressure on the state government. The farmers also met and submitted a memorandum to Cabinet minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal, requesting him to represent their concerns at the government level.

Jatinder Singh Chhinna, a senior KKU leader, said, “The state government should pass a resolution to repeal the Dam Safety Act. We have also demanded that the issue be addressed in accordance with Riparian Water Rights, which are universally recognised.”

The farmer leaders further demanded the repeal of Sections 78, 79 and 80 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, asserting that this would be in the best interest of the state. They urged the Punjab Government to pass a resolution to this effect.

To address the water needs of Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan, the leaders proposed using the unutilised water of Sharda River. They demanded that the Punjab Government put forward a proposal for the Sharda-Yamuna Link Canal.

Additionally, the farmers called on the Central government to provide financial assistance to Punjab to help utilise the water of Ravi, which is currently flowing into Pakistan, for irrigation purposes. They also demanded that the state government ensure canal water supply to all agricultural fields in order to protect groundwater resources.

The protest was led by district president Satnam Singh Chhinna, along with other KKU leaders including Major Singh Kariyal and Sukhdev Singh Sahansra.

Amritsar