✎ Punjab challenges Kishau Project water-sharing agreement in SC, citing 1954 Yamuna water rights.
Relevance for Banking, SSC & RBI Grade B exams: Polity & Governance
The Punjab government has announced its intention to approach the Supreme Court over the Kishau Multipurpose Project, alleging that its exclusion from a recent inter-state water-sharing agreement is unacceptable. The agreement, signed on September 15 in New Delhi by six states—Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi—excluded Punjab, which claims its historical rights over Yamuna waters, as recognized in a 1954 accord. Punjab’s AAP spokesperson Neel Garg stated that the state will legally contest the decision, arguing that its absence in the deliberations undermines its entitlement to a share of the water allocated under the project, which involves the Tons River, a tributary of the Yamuna.
The Kishau Project, proposed on the Tons River along the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border, aims to store 1,562 million cubic meters of water, with allocations earmarked for Haryana (633 MCM), Uttar Pradesh (411 MCM), Rajasthan (124 MCM), and Delhi (80 MCM). While the project promises 422 MW of hydroelectric power and irrigation benefits for 97,000 hectares, Punjab’s exclusion raises constitutional and federal concerns, particularly regarding water rights and inter-state cooperation. For banking and SSC aspirants, this underscores the importance of understanding constitutional provisions on water disputes (Article 262) and the role of the Supreme Court in resolving inter-state conflicts, a recurring theme in governance and polity sections of competitive exams. For RBI Grade B candidates, it highlights the economic implications of large-scale infrastructure projects, including funding mechanisms (90% central assistance) and their impact on regional development and resource allocation.
Source: amarujala.com
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