Arvind Kejriwal asks PM, Centre to ensure water for Punjab, Haryana

Chandigarh: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday sought the Centre's intervention to ensure water for Punjab and Haryana even as he accused the BJP and the Congress of playing politics over the decades-old Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute.

His remarks came a day after the Centre told the Supreme Court that the Punjab government was "not cooperating" in resolving the SYL canal issue.

Kejriwal visited Hisar in Haryana on Wednesday in connection with the launch of the AAP's 'Make India Number 1' campaign.

Replying to a question on the SYL issue, the Delhi chief minister also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure water for both Punjab and Haryana, asserting that both the states were facing shortages.

"I want to ask the stand of the Punjab Congress and the Haryana Congress on the SYL issue. I also want to ask the stand of the Punjab BJP and the Haryana BJP on it.

"They go to Punjab and say they will not allow construction of the SYL canal, and when they come to Haryana, they say they will ensure construction of the canal," he said.

"This bad politics has not let India become number one in the last 70 years," Kejriwal said.

He said both Punjab and Haryana need water as the level of underground water table is depleting in both the states.

"It is the responsibility of the central government that it should intervene and ensure water for Haryana and Punjab," he said while speaking to reporters in Hisar.

"What is the job of the central government? It is not the job of the Centre to make these two states fight against each other. If we continue to fight against each other, how will India move forward," Kejriwal asked.

He said it was possible for both Haryana and Punjab to get water, adding that the Centre will have to take the responsibility for this.

"I appeal to pradhan mantri-ji to ensure arrangement of adequate water for Punjab and Haryana. If he does not have the solution, then he should call me and I will tell him about it. It has to be resolved," said Kejriwal.

The SYL canal row has been a bone of contention between Punjab and Haryana for several decades.

Punjab has been demanding a reassessment of the Ravi-Beas river waters' volume while Haryana has been seeking completion of the SYL canal to get its share of 3.5 million acre feet (MAF) of water.