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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | 'Unfortunate that Punjab is facing water shortage'

'Unfortunate that Punjab is facing water shortage'

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published Published on Aug 27, 2015   modified Modified on Aug 27, 2015
-The Times of India

LUDHIANA: It is very unfortunate that a state like Punjab, which is known for its rivers, is facing shortage of water. "When I share this problem with the people of other states, they don't believe it and laugh it off. But in reality, conditions are becoming worse and there is a need to take immediate steps to improve the conditions," Union minister for water resources Uma Bharti said here on Tuesday. She was speaking at the inauguration of two-day regional convention of the Water Users Associations (WUAs) at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

Experts at the convention shared various techniques to encourage water conservation for irrigation purposes and also urged farmers to use the water resources properly. Bharti said that there was a dire need to save Punjab from the crisis of depleting groundwater and for that people should come forward. She said there was also a need to encourage WUAs which should guide people for proper utilization of water resources.

Farmers and members of WUAs from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are taking part in the convention.

Speaking at inaugural function of the convention Bharati said, "Water revolution (kranti) is the need of the hour in order to move forward in a dynamic way. Welfare of the society is the responsibility of the government but public also owes equal responsibility." She also urged the people to keep the Indian rivers and conserved water clean.

Punjab secretary (irrigation) K S Pannu said that a large section of people in the state were engaged in agriculture and most of them were unaware of water conservation techniques. He said that only 27% of the total area under agriculture in Punjab was fed by canal water and remaining was dependent on groundwater drawn using tubewells. Pannu said that they were working to raise the farm area fed by canal water to 37%, which would lower the rate of groundwater depletion in the state. He also hailed the Union government's 'Per Drop More Crop' campaign.

PAU registrar P S Khanna said that the farmers should also be apprised of crop diversification to save water and get higher yield using optimum irrigation.

Punjab irrigation minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon urged the Union minister to approve the Sirhind feeder project, which was pending with the Centre and also handed over a memorandum containing demands of Punjab.

What's WUA?

Water Users Association (WUA) is a group of water users, who pool their financial, technical, material, and human resources for the operation and maintenance of a water system.

PAU registrar mistaken for VC

There was some miscommunication and the Union minister Uma Bharti and other delegates, who came from other states, repeatedly referred to PAU registrar P S Khanna as the vice-chancellor of the varsity. VC B S Dhillon was also present during the event.


The Times of India, 26 August, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Unfortunate-that-Punjab-is-facing-water-shortage/articleshow/48675380.cms


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