Chandigarh, June 8, 2019 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today said thousands of farmers in the Malwa region who were dependent on canal water for drinking as well as irrigation purposes were in dire straits even as the Congress government was not taking any effort to augment supply of water at the Harike headworks.
In a statement here, the SAD President said there was an acute shortage of drinking water in villages in Fazilka, Ferozepur, Muktsar and Faridkot and even the cotton crop in these districts had got endangered due to inadequate supply of canal water.
“As underground water in brackish in most of these areas people are facing extreme hardship to avail even drinking water. Cotton crop is also perishing in many areas due to unavailability of water”.
Stating that this tragedy was man made, Mr Sukhbir Badal said the Congress government was in deep slumber and had failed to release water from the Bhakra dam for supply to these districts. He demanded that this be done immediately.
Asking the State government to take necessary steps to mitigate the hardship of farmers, Mr Badal said the situation would worsen in coming days as farmers also needed water supply for transplanting paddy.
“It would be better if the State cabinet stop its rounds of congratulations and distribution of ladoos between themselves and address the acute drinking and irrigation water paucity being faced by the farmers of the Malwa region”.
