SC pulls up Punjab, Haryana over inaction in addressing Ghaggar basin flooding issue

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up Haryana and Punjab not taking adequate measures to tackle the Ghaggar river basin overflooding issue, noting that except for two standing committee meetings, neither side had taken any critical decisions to address the issue.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up Punjab and Haryana for not taking any steps to tackle the issue of overflooding in the Ghaggar river basin, which affects more than 25 villages. The SC bench comprising Justices MR Shah and MM Sundresh directed both states to take steps in order to tackle the problem and submit the detailed project report (DPR) within four weeks. The top court noted that except for two meetings of the Ghaggar Standing Committee, no succinct decisions had been taken by either side based on suggestions by Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, which arrived after the last SC hearing on the matter.

The court, back in August, had directed both sides to act in accordance with suggestions by the CWPRS to find a solution to the flood issue. A common man does not care about how many meetings you have held but cares about the actual steps that have been taken, observed Justice Shah, adding that every state government should consider public interest primarily over politics. "The detailed project reports shall be absolutely in tune with the recommendations/report of the CWPRS, Pune, and no state shall deviate from the same," the bench further noted. It also directed both states to consult and share the status report before the Central Water Commission (CWC) before presenting it before the bench. The matter will be heard next on January 3.