Punjab has no water to spare: Badal

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday asserted that Punjab "does not have a single drop of water to spare" for any other state as its farmers are facing acute water shortage due to the fast-receding water level in the state.

"There is no water to be allowed to flow through the SYL and not a single drop can be allowed to flow through SYL, and none shall be allowed," said Badal in a statement here.

The chief minister said the political parties and leaders of Punjab and Haryana should refrain from indulging in gimmicks for cheap publicity at the expense of peace and stability in the state. Badal made the assertion in wake of Haryana's opposition party, Indian National Lok Dal's leader Abhay Chautala announcement that his party activists would assemble at Ambala in Haryana on February 23 and march towards Punjab to undertake the digging of the SYL canal to ensure faster implementation of the recent apex court verdict favouring Haryana on sharing of the river waters.

"As long as long I am here, no one needs to be afraid that the interests of the state are being compromised. The SAD-BJP government's commitment to protect the interests of Punjab and Punjabis on this and every other issue is total and inviolable," he said.