J&K CM’s remark on water sharing unreasonable: Akali Dal leader
The recent remark made by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, stating that he will not share any water with Punjab, has sparked a heated debate in the region. In response to Abdullah’s comment, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema has called the remark “unreasonable” and claimed that they did not expect the Chief Minister to comment on the issue.
The river water distribution between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab has been a contentious issue for a long time. The two states have been at loggerheads over the sharing of water from the rivers, particularly the Ravi and Beas rivers. The issue has been exacerbated by the fact that the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan, which was signed in 1960, has not been implemented effectively.
In his recent statement, Abdullah said that Jammu and Kashmir will not share any water with Punjab, citing the state’s water scarcity. He also accused the Punjab government of not doing enough to conserve water and claimed that the state was not utilizing its share of the water from the rivers.
However, Cheema, the Akali Dal leader, has strongly disagreed with Abdullah’s statement. He claimed that the Chief Minister’s remark was not only unreasonable but also unjustified, as Jammu and Kashmir has always received a significant share of the water from the rivers.
“We did not expect him to comment on Punjab, as river water distribution has earlier also been in favour of other states like Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi,” Cheema said in an interview. “Punjab has always been a water-giving state, and we have always shared our water with other states. We expect the same kind of cooperation from Jammu and Kashmir.”
Cheema also pointed out that the Indus Water Treaty has not been implemented effectively, which has led to disputes over the sharing of water between India and Pakistan. He claimed that the treaty needs to be reviewed and revised to ensure that both countries get a fair share of the water.
The Akali Dal leader also accused the Jammu and Kashmir government of not doing enough to conserve water and claimed that the state was not utilizing its share of the water from the rivers. He said that the state needed to take immediate steps to conserve water and reduce its consumption.
The issue of water sharing between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab is not new. The two states have been at loggerheads over the issue for a long time, and the dispute has been exacerbated by the fact that the Indus Water Treaty has not been implemented effectively.
In recent years, the dispute has led to tensions between the two states, with both sides accusing each other of not doing enough to conserve water. The issue has also been raised in the Indian Parliament, with several MPs calling for a review of the Indus Water Treaty.
In conclusion, the recent remark made by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, stating that he will not share any water with Punjab, has sparked a heated debate in the region. The Akali Dal leader, Daljit Singh Cheema, has called the remark “unreasonable” and claimed that the state needs to take immediate steps to conserve water and reduce its consumption.
The issue of water sharing between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab is a complex one, and it requires a comprehensive solution that takes into account the needs of both states. The Indus Water Treaty needs to be reviewed and revised to ensure that both countries get a fair share of the water.
In the meantime, the two states need to work together to find a solution to the issue. They need to engage in constructive dialogue and find ways to conserve water and reduce their consumption.
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