Flood crisis: Haryana, Punjab blame each other

Accusing Punjab of running a campaign blaming it for floods in its territory, Haryana on Monday sought the Centre's intervention over the issue and defended construction of the Hansi-Butana link canal.

"I had recently met Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. We have no problem if Centre steps in. We will welcome it. Punjab has to stop this campaign blaming us for their floods," Haryana Finance and Irrigation Minister Ajay Singh Yadav told mediapersons in Chandigarh.

The current spell of floods in the two neighbouring states has so far claimed 33 lives and caused an estimated loss of nearly Rs 1,500 crore. Both the sides have been trading charges blaming each other for the floods.

Punjab's deputy chief minister and head of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal had alleged that the construction of Hansi Butana multi-purpose canal in Haryana was causing floods in his state.

Yadav said that Punjab's Chief Secretary S C Agarwal had recently written a letter to his Haryana counterpart Urvashi Gulati, stating that construction of Hansi Butana canal was simply a case of 'criminal negligence, constructed illegally and against the natural flow of water and should be dismantled immediately.'

The Haryana government has taken strong objection to the language used by Punjab's chief secretary.

"The Supreme Court also did not stay Hansi Butana canal's construction on Punjab's plea. Even the Central Water Commission gave its go ahead to the canal construction. And now they are using such language, which is condemnable," he said.

He said that Punjab should stop putting the blame on Haryana and instead the two states should immediately start joint patrolling of the "troubled spots" along the SYL canal to avoid repeat of the floods in future, set up control rooms and exchange information on a regular basis.

Last week, Haryana had hinted at sabotage from Punjab side, with R N Prasher, principal secretary to the Chief Minister, alleging that the state had found evidence of "man-made trouble" at the breach on the Hansi-Butana link at Keorak.

However, Yadav said that Haryana will investigate whether it was a natural phenomenon or handiwork of people living upstream. He, however, said that it was not for Haryana to register criminal cases against any person from Punjab side found guilty as the latter should be doing so.

The minister further said that the Hansi canal was downstream whereas the floods had occurred upstream and it was unfair to blame the state for the deluge.

He also said that Punjab itself was responsible to some extent for the floods, because the State had not created the required under passage for flood waters at Khanauri.

"The under passage at that point is only for 49,500 cusecs of water whereas it should have been over 1 lakh cusecs," he said, adding that Haryana had created lots of under passages in the Hansi canal.

He further said that on June 25 there had been a meeting of senior officials including those from the irrigation department between the two states, where issues like joint patrolling figured up and Punjab was told to strengthen the weak points, "but they took no steps".

When asked that there were allegations that Haryana had not cleaned its drains in Kaithal, Ambala and Kurukshetra which also caused flooding, Yadav admitted that it was ture for some places.

"It is true that at some places we could not clean up the drains. We have drawn a lesson for future. I would not blame all officers for this, but where ever any person is found guilty, he will not be spared," he said.