Chandigarh:
Accusing Punjab of running a campaign blaming it for floods in its territory, Haryana has sought the Centre's intervention over the issue and defended construction of the Hansi-Butana link canal.
"I had recently met Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal... we have no problem if Centre steps in. We will welcome it. Punjab has to stop this campaign blaming us for their floods," Haryana's Finance and Irrigation Minister, Ajay Singh Yadav said.
The current spell of floods in the two neighbouring states has so far claimed 33 lives and caused an estimated loss of nearly Rs 1,500 crore.
Both the sides have been trading charges blaming each other for the floods.
Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister and head of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal had alleged that the construction of Hansi Butana multi-purpose canal in Haryana was causing floods in his state.
Yadav said that Punjab's Chief Secretary S C Agarwal had recently written a letter to his Haryana counterpart Urvashi Gulati, stating that construction of Hansi Butana canal was simply a case of "criminal negligence, constructed illegally and against the natural flow of water and should be dismantled immediately".
"The Haryana government has taken strong objection to the language used by Punjab's Chief Secretary. The Supreme Court also did not stay Hansi Butana canal's construction on Punjab's plea. Even the Central Water Commission gave its go ahead to the canal construction. And now they are using such language, which is condemnable," he said.
He said that Punjab should stop putting the blame on Haryana and instead the two states should immediately start joint patrolling of the "troubled spots" along the SYL canal to avoid repeat of the floods in future, set up control rooms and exchange information on a regular basis.