Much has been said and written about sharing of river waters between Punjab and Haryana from time to time since the reorganisation of the state of Punjab in 1966. Various agreements, accords, tribunals, commissions and water sharing formulas have been worked out time to time, but the problem still remains unsolved.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the first phase of the Saurashtra Narmada Avataran for Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana, which will see Narmada waters fill nearly 10 dams and reservoir
The province of Punjab is the main food basket of India. In recent years, many regions of Punjab are facing acute waterlogging problems and increased secondary salinity, which have negative impacts on food security of the nation. In particular, these problems are more pronounced in the Muktsar district of Punjab. The observed groundwater levels trend between 2005 and 2011 implies that groundwater levels are coming towards the land surface at the rate of 0.5 m/year in Lambi and Malout blocks.
"We have increased forest cover by 3,500 sq km. We have increased mangrove by 1,000 sq km. It is not a small achievement. It shows our direction and commitment," said Javadekar.
Water management requires multiple levels of policy action. The problem is not a shortage of water, but the absence of proper mechanisms for its augmentation, conservation, distribution, and effi cient use. Water management should be given number one priority in agricultural policy, particularly to prevent drought, minimise the risks due to drought and build a climate-resilient agriculture.
This GGGI developed Implementation Roadmap aims to help the State of Karnataka, India, assess the current status and potential of micro irrigation implementation, appropriate financing and institutional mechanisms that optimize government investments.
