Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday firmly rejected the proposal for a 113-kilometre canal that would divert surplus water from the Union Territory’s share of the Indus River system to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Abdullah said his government would prioritise local needs before considering supplying water to other states. “Let us use our water for ourselves first. There is a drought-like situation in Jammu. Why should I send water to Punjab?” he told reporters.
Referring to past disputes, the Chief Minister highlighted the longstanding water-sharing conflict with Punjab, which dates back to the construction of the Shahpur Kandi barrage in Pathankot. Although an agreement was signed in 1979, it only materialised in 2018 following intervention by the Centre.
“Punjab already had water under the Indus Water Treaty. Did they give us water when we needed it?” Abdullah said. “Kitne saal unhone humein rulaya (They made us cry for so many years). For now the water is for us. We will use the water first, and then we will think about others.”
