Raje urges PM to make Punjab release water

To meet the urgent demand of water for the rabi crop, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundara Raje has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to use his good office to convince the Punjab government to agree to the release of water from the Pong dam.

Raje also spoke to the prime minister over telephone and asked him to intervene for immediate release of water to Rajasthan.

In her letter, Raje drew the attention of Singh on the urgent requirement of 50,000 cusecs of water for the standing rabi crop in the state.

Raje said though Rajasthan was supposed to get water up to March 29, it got water only up to February 28. An undertaking had also been given the to the Bhakhda Bias Management Board that Rajasthan would compensate Punjab and Haryana for the loss of their share of water, she said.

The chief minister said, "We have emergency requirement of 50,000 cusecs of water for seven days. In case this legitimate demand of Rajasthan's farmers is not fulfilled, I am afraid it may damage the standing crops and unnecessarily invite agitation from the farmers".