If the SYL is forced on Punjab, it will turn 9 lakh acres in the Malwa region barren, Amarinder Singh said. If the SYL is forced on Punjab, it will turn 9 lakh acres in the Malwa region barren, Amarinder Singh said.

Punjab Congress President, Capt Amarinder Singh, Thursday invoked Marathwada water crisis to reiterate his appeal to the judges of the Supreme Court to take into account the ground realities before deciding the SYL issue. “The Marathwada water crisis should be a warning signal for Punjab. It won’t be that long that barren lands and parched throats would start staring at us like those in the Marathwada region in Maharashtra if the Supreme Court does not take a considerate and logical decision on the matter,” he said.

The PCC president maintained that the water level in the rivers had gone down considerably from 15.8 MAF in 1955 to 13 MAF now. “Given the fact that the glaciers were hundreds of years old, the water level will further recede in the rivers and reservoirs and we may have an imminent drinking water crisis in the state, besides the irrigation”, he warned, while asserting that Punjab had a strong and genuine case against the construction of the SYL.

Expressing his sympathies with the people of Marathwada, the former Chief Minister warned that today it may be in Marathwada region in Maharashtra and tomorrow it may be the Malwa region in Punjab as the water resources are depleting fast and the water table was going down at an alarming pace.

“That is why I have been appealing to the judges to take note of the ground realities before pronouncing their judgement, lest that leads to unforeseen circumstances,” he said.

He also said that a large part of Malwa region had brackish water unfit for irrigation or drinking. He said, if the SYL is forced on Punjab, it will turn 9 lakh acres in the Malwa region barren.

News playlist:

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.