New Delhi, Jul 29 (IANS): Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Sahney on Monday demanded that Punjab should be immediately included in the Atal Bhujal Yojana for sustainable groundwater management.

Sahney said Punjab contributes “47 per cent of wheat and 21 per cent of rice to the Central pool. So it is extracting excess water from the ground to ensure food security of the country and in the process Punjab is facing ground water depletion and deterioration.”

The Minister of Jal Shakti informed the House that Punjab had not fulfilled the criteria for the Atal Bhujal Yojana and the state government should answer in this regard.

Responding to the Jal Shakti Minister, MP Sahney gave a guarantee on the floor of the House that Punjab has complied with all the parameters of the scheme and even the incentivisation scheme for bridging the irrigation gap is pending for launch by the Central government which would address Punjab’s groundwater issues.

Sahney added that Punjab’s groundwater utilisation “stands at 164 per cent and levels could drop below 1,000 feet by 2039.”

He also expressed concern over the delay in implementation of the master plan for artificial recharge of groundwater.