While hitting out at those blaming Haryana for the flood-like situation following the monsoon fury, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said playing the blame game during such times of crisis is nothing but a proof of being uneducated. “Not Haryana, but the illegal encroachments near Yamuna have resulted in this flood-like situation in Delhi,” said the CM. “Some prominent politicians are trying to defame Haryana by circulating photographs claiming that it is only because Haryana has released water from Hathnikund Barrage which has caused flood-like situations in their states. Making such statements shows their ‘low-level' mentality. I think if there is any degree in being ill-informed then these people will get PhD in that for sure,” said Khattar while addressing a press conference in Rohtak on Sunday. AAP leaders have been blaming Haryana for release of excess water in Yamuna river from Haryana's Hathinkund Barrage after the recent showers leading to floods in the national capital, while the Khattar-led government has been insisting that it has no option but to release the water if its inflow in the barrage is more than 1 lakh cusecs. “As far as the issue of the release of water is concerned, we have informed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that Hathnikund is a barrage and not a dam. Water flow is controlled in dams – but in a barrage, the water can only be regulated in small quantities. The capacity of the barrage is 1 lakh cusecs of water and it is difficult to stop the water above this level,” Khattar had stated earlier. On Sunday, Khattar said that the flood-like situation caused due to increased water levels in the Yamuna has first affected the villages of Yamunanagar district only. “The situation due to increased water levels in Yamuna became so bad that we had to vacate two villages in the district.” Responding to the allegations of AAP leaders, Khattar said: “Ye kaunsa sidhant hua ki phele hum kudh ko dubaenge aur fir Delhi ko (What is the logic behind that first we will drown our own districts and then will drown Delhi). Before defaming us, these people should have a clear understanding that Haryana has more districts adjoining the Yamuna than Delhi. If any untoward situation arises then Haryana will be affected more”. Khattar said that before blaming Haryana, Delhi should remember that the state is fulfilling its (Delhi) water needs. “We not only meet Delhi's water requirement but are also giving it more water than its share. Delhi's share is 750 cusecs of water and even today Haryana provides 1,070 cusecs of water to Delhi – 320 cusecs of water more than Delhi's share,” said Khattar. The CM alleged that even after the Supreme Court asked Delhi to pay for taking extra water from Haryana, Delhi has never paid anything for getting 320 cusecs of extra water. ‘SYL canal could have cut Punjab's woes’ Khattar said that had the SYL canal been built, Punjab would have suffered less. Excess rainwater from Punjab flowed into the SYL Canal constructed in Haryana due to which areas of Ambala and Kurukshetra districts were submerged. “These two districts were submerged only because of incomplete SYL. But we never accused Punjab of this situation,” said the Haryana CM. Taking a dig at those saying that if Haryana needs water then they can take it now, Khattar said that it is not right to make such statements at this time. “Water is demanded when there is a need. Jokes are good to crack when someone is not occupying a constitutional post, but once you are sitting in an important position then you have to behave responsibly and sensibly,” said Khattar.
