Parliament Session 2024: ‘Include Punjab in Atal Bhujal Yojana,’ demands MP Vikramjit Sahney
Parliament Session 2024: Rajya Sabha MP Dr Vikramjit Sahney on Monday demanded that Punjab should be immediately included in Atal Bhujal Yojana for the sustainable groundwater management in Punjab.
Dr Sahney says “Punjab contributes 47% of wheat and 21% of rice to the central pool. So it is extracting excess water from the ground to ensure food security of the country and in the process Punjab is facing groundwater depletion and deterioration.”
The Minister of Jal Shakti informed the House that Punjab has not fulfilled the criteria for the Atal Bhujal Yojana and the State Government should answer the same.
I demanded today that #Punjab should be immediately included in Atal Bhujal Yojana for the sustainable ground #Watermanagement in Punjab. Punjab contributes 47% of wheat and 21% of rice to central pool. So it is extracting excess water from the ground to ensure food security of… pic.twitter.com/7R2F1UhCyj — Vikramjit Singh MP (@vikramsahney) July 29, 2024
Responding to the Jal Shakti Minister, MP Sahney gave a guarantee on the floor of the House that Punjab has complied with all the parameters of the Yojana and even Incentivization Scheme for Bridging Irrigation Gap (ISBIG) is pending for launch by the central government which would address Punjab ground water issues.
Sahney highlighted that groundwater usage in Punjab has reached 164 percent of sustainable levels, with projections indicating that water levels could fall below 1,000 feet by 2039. He also voiced concerns about the slow progress in implementing the master plan for artificial groundwater recharge.
- PTC NEWS
