Water disputes cannot be decided in isolation, says Hooda

Maintaining that inter-state water disputes cannot be decided in isolation, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said the state is not prepared to part with even a single drop of its share of water.
"We are not prepared to part with even a single drop of our share of water," Hooda told reporters on the sidelines of the Haryana Assembly Session.
When asked about the transfer of Chandigarh, inter-state water and territory issues raised by Governor of Punjab in his address on the first day of Budget Session of Punjab Assembly, Hooda said that Hindi speaking areas should be transferred to Haryana.

"The state will not leave its claim over Chandigarh and Hindi speaking areas. There have been accords and awards on the issue of Chandigarh, which is the capital of two states. The Hindi speaking areas should also be transferred to Haryana," the Chief Minister said.
While referring to the inter-state water issue, Hooda said it was not the question of Riparian Principle as mentioned by Punjab Governor.
"Earlier, both Punjab and Haryana used to be one state. The issue of water in such cases is resolved on the basis of co-basin. Haryana forms a co-basin as the rivers Sutlej, Ravi and Beas are the tributaries of Indus river," he said.

Hooda urged the Centre to get the seven-year-old issue of presidential reference on Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal resolved expeditiously.
In reply to a question, Hooda said that earlier he had "offered Punjab to settle these inter-state issues through dialogue and the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had responded in a positive way, but the Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal was not prepared".
"As both of them had divergent views on his offer for a solution through dialogue, they should first themselves decide as to who is right," he said.