Punjab and the Centre appear to be headed for a fresh confrontation over the issue of inter-state water sharing. Nearly 62 years after the Independence, Punjab has decided to take the Centre head on and demand a royalty on water to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore for the water flowing into Rajasthan.

LUCKNOW: Call it an irony of sorts. At a time when there is brouhaha over the depleting ground water table, the central ground water board (CGWB) has revealed a huge ground water reservoir hidden deep within the earth's crust.

No water release from Pong Dam

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) today in consultation with partner states reduced the discharge of water from Bhakra Dam and stopped all releases from Pong Dam in a bid to expedite the filling of dams, which had been heavily depleted in May in anticipation of rains which never came.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) released water in excess of share to all three partner states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan in May to avoid floods, which may never come this year due to scanty rainfall.

Water levels in reservoirs are shrinking as snow-fed rivers have got reduced to a trickle.

The water level in the Pong reservoir is 387.93 metre against last year

Patiala: The Bhakra Mail Line is falling apart. Deprived of repairs since 1992, its banks have begun eroding and in some stretches, have been washed away. A breach is imminent if embankments are not mended urgently.

The Rajasthan Government on Thursday stepped up its efforts to get maximum water from Bhakra and Pong dams in Punjab, in view of the threat by the Kisan Mazdoor Vyapari Sangharsh Samiti to launch an agitation from Friday in Sri Ganganagar and adjoining areas, if sufficient water for irrigation was not made available from the Indira Gandhi Canal.

Chandigarh, June 30: More water would be released from Bhakra and Pong dams after the level in their reservoirs increased in the last few days, an official said on Tuesday, much to the relief of Punjab and Haryana paddy farmers.

Forecast of a poor rainfall has caused panic among farmers in Punjab. As if this was not enough, the decision of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to reduce the flow of water from Bhakra has come as a double blow. This has forced many agriculturists to start hoarding diesel, lest they are left with no other alternative for irrigation during the paddy season.

Anandpur Sahib: Dirty water, carrying large amount of silt, was found running in Bhakra main line (BML). The canal serves drinking water supply from areas of Nangal till Chandigarh passing through Anandpur Sahib, Ropar, Kharar and Mohali.

Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) officials said prime reason behind heavy silt is supposed to be low water-level in Nangal dam.

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