The Times of India 19.03.2013
Kajauli water project continues to hang fire
CHANDIGARH: The ambitious project to bring 40MGD additional water supply
to the city by laying separate water pipeline from Kajauli to city is
still hanging fire as the stakeholders – UT, Punjab and Haryana – have
not reached at a common consensus yet on the water sharing issue.
Despite innumerable meetings between officials to sort the issue, no
solution has come out so far. Initially, Punjab government had rejected
the proposal to give land to lay the water pipelines and allow water
supply to UT, claiming that their district (Mohali) is their first
priority and it needs the water too. But after a series of
deliberations, it was decided that a single pipeline with additional
diameter will be laid and both Punjab and UT will get water through it.
However, Haryana government did not agree to Punjab’s proposal of laying
a pipeline of a larger diameter in contemplation of phase VII and VIII,
because earlier they had given consent to lay down the pipeline in
phase V and VI. Haryana also mentioned that Chandigarh has entered in an
agreement with Punjab to provide water to Mohali under phase V and VI
by keeping the Haryana government in dark. They proposed that if Punjab
requires additional water for Mohali, it should draw the same from Anandpur Hydel Channel.
Besides UT and Punjab, Haryana also has a share in the Bhakra canal
and a consent from all three stakeholders is required for additional
supply. Meanwhile, UT has already received a grant of over Rs 170 crore
for the project from Centre.
