Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking Punjab’s inclusion in the ₹6,000 crore ‘Atal Bhujal Yojana’ for conservation of groundwater resources.
The Chief Minister, in his letter, cited media reports about exclusion of Punjab from the scheme, and urged the Prime Minister to direct the Ministry of Jal Shakti to include Punjab in the same.
Expressing surprise and concern over Punjab’s non-inclusion in the scheme given the fact that the rate of depletion of groundwater is the highest in Punjab, Capt. Amarinder pointed out that 20 of the 22 districts of the State (other than Pathankot and Muktsar) are under serious stress of depletion of groundwater.
‘Critical shortage’
In fact, he pointed out that the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti had deputed officers to visit these districts earlier this year. He further mentioned that over 3/4th of the blocks in the State had been declared water-stressed, including some as critical, as per a recent report of the Central Groundwater Board.
“I need not over emphasise the fact that Punjab had depleted its only natural resource, i.e. groundwater, thanks to the practice of intensive agriculture, especially paddy, for achieving food security for the nation,” the Chief Minister wrote.
The Chief Minister further pointed out that availability of surface water had also declined in the last few decades. Therefore, based on empirical data, Punjab presents a strong case for immediate assistance for water conservation, he added.
