Hisar villagers object to water diversion plan

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, August 8

Resident of over 50 villages adjoining the Rajasthan border, who have been facing water shortage for several years, said today that their problem could worsen further if another minor was linked to the Bhakra Main Line (BML)-Barwala link canal to divert its waters to villages in Jind’s Narwana region.

The Jal Sangharsh Samiti, which has been spearheading an agitation for more water in the Bhakra branch canal to ensure adequate supply to villages located in the Nalwa and Adampur Assembly segments of Hisar district, has submitted a memorandum to the state government, objecting to its assurance of providing the Bhakra waters to 11 villages in the Narwana subdivision. The samiti’s reaction came after the state government accepted the demands of the 11 villages, which had held a 46-day dharna in Dharodi village of Jind, for ensuring waters of the Bhakra branch canal to the Dharodi minor.

The protesters had alleged that 11 villages had been facing water shortage as no water was available in the Dharodi minor.

Kurda Ram Nambardar, Jal Sangharsh Samiti president who spearheaded a 44-day dharna in Hisar in 2018 to highlight the water problem in these villages, said successive governments had reduced 1,500 cusecs flowing in the Bhakra branch canal from the Khanauri head located in Sangrur district of Punjab.

“This water is meant for our region adjoining Rajasthan. But over the years, connections were given to minors and distributaries before the water reaches its destination (Hisar). The canal runs short of about 400 cusec when it reaches here. Though the demand in Hisar has increased over the years, the water supply has gone down from 1,500 cusec to about 1,100 cusec,” Nambardar said.

“The BML-Bhakra link canal water is diverted to the Mohargarh minor, Narwana minor, Dhamtan minor and Dhanoda minor before it reaches Hisar,” Irrigation officials said.

“We have been waiting for the government to keep its word to remodel the canals to ensure water reaches the tail end of our villages for the last one and a half years. But if the decision (to divert waters to the Dharodi minor in Jind district) is implemented, our problem will aggravate further and we will have no option but to re-launch our stir,” he said.

Officials of the Irrigation Department, including Phool Singh Nain, Chief Engineer, Bhakra Water Services, refused to comment on the issue. CB Singh Sheoran, former chief secretary, Irrigation, however, said diverting the waters from the Barwala link canal was causing problem in its destination area in Hisar district. “The faulty design of the irrigation infrastructure is to blame for the lopsided distribution of water in the state. It requires major remodelling and overhauling of the existing irrigation set-up to ensure equitable distribution of waters in all areas of the state,” he said.

Memorandum to govt 

• The Jal Sangharsh Samiti submitted a memorandum to the government, objecting to assurance of providing Bhakra waters to 11 villages in the Narwana subdivision

• The samiti’s reaction came after the government accepted demands of the 11 villages, which had held a 46-day dharna in Dharodi village of Jind, for ensuring waters of the Bhakra branch canal to Dharodi minor