Ghaggar basin flooding: Supreme Court pulls up Punjab, Haryana for not respecting its orders; summons Chief Secretaries

The Supreme Court last week came down upon the States of Punjab and Haryana for failing to take any corrective measures to tackle the issue of overflooding of the Ghaggar basin, which ruins the farms of over 25 villages around it [Nagar Panchayat Moonak vs State of Punjab]..A division bench of Justices MR Shah and MM Sundresh said it was not impressed by both the States for failing to implement a report prepared by an expert body from Pune, suggesting certain corrective measures."This Court had in 2018 observed and directed that there shall be periodical meetings every four weeks of the concerned stakeholders to discuss the progress on implementation of the recommendations. It is very unfortunate that despite the specific directions, the respective States have not responded in true spirit," the bench recorded in its order passed on November 9.The bench, therefore, ordered presence of Chief Secretaries of both the States on November 15, in view of the fact that the States failed to even file an affidavit, leave alone the implementation of the recommendations."Though, of course, the State of Haryana has submitted one report, which is not satisfactory at all. The State of Punjab has not even bothered to file the status report. This is how the concerned States are serious in tackling the problem of overflooding of Ghaggar basin. There is no respect of the Supreme Court’s order so far as the States of Punjab and Haryana are concerned," the bench said. .The top court had, on August 17, passed an order, noting that a final report was prepared by the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune on September 20, 2021. The body had proposed short term measures, which involved widening of river from 60m-90m at some feasible reaches along with limiting water level rise to 2 m at both the banks by constructing embankments. The bench had then ordered the governments of Punjab and Haryana to act appropriately and take corrective measures in time bound manner as per the recommendations made in the final model study report by CWPRS..However, when the matter was taken up on November 9, the Court noted that there was non-compliance by the States. In view of the same, the Court ordered the Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana to personally remain present in the next hearing. "We have no other alternative but to secure the presence of the Chief Secretaries of both the States and to file a status report taking in terms of our earlier order dated August 17, 2022. The Chief Secretaries are directed to remain present on November 15, when the matter would be heard next," the bench ordered.The bench reiterated and directed the concerned States to be serious and sincere in tackling the problem of overflooding of Ghaggar basin, which is occurring every year affecting more than 25 villages..[Read Order]