Pipes laid to extract water from Munak canal…
– Photo : Amar Ujala
Expansion
The Haryana Government is supplying adequate water to Delhi as per the rules, but the Delhi Government is accusing Haryana of supplying less water. The water going from Haryana to Delhi is being stolen on the way. The tanker operators who supply water to factories and builders are stealing this water. The tanker operators are breaking in by putting pipes in the canal, sometimes in the open through the fields and sometimes under the road. At the same time, the officials of the Irrigation Department are pretending to be unaware of the breaking in of the water canal.
When Amar Ujala’s team visited the Munak canal area that supplies water to Delhi, pipes were seen installed in the canal at many places to drain out water. It is also being claimed that special teams of the irrigation department patrol the canal track. Despite this, water pipes were seen installed in the canal at many places on the Munak canal. Water is supplied to factories through motors from these.
According to the local people, water is stolen at night through tankers in Karnal area on Munak canal and through pipes from minors in Panipat area and beyond Khubdu. There are many gravel plants near Munak canal from Karnal to Panipat. Villagers said that water is taken from the canal illegally in these also. The post of wire clerk is vacant at Munak head. In such a situation, water is easily stolen due to lack of monitoring.
Water cannot be drawn without permission
It is necessary to take administrative permission from the irrigation department to extract water from any canal. No one can extract water from the canal without permission. Filling water by installing pipes and using a motor or tanker is considered water theft. Even for development work, PWD and other government departments, contractors or agencies cannot extract water without permission.
Provision of water charge or penalty on theft
Hollowing out the banks of the canal from the bottom and extracting water by installing pipes comes under the category of theft. According to the irrigation department officials, if any department or contractor takes canal water for government work or development work, then he has to take permission as per the prescribed procedure. For this, he has to deposit water charge as per the rates prescribed by the government. If water is extracted without permission, then there is also a provision of fine.
Theft happens in Panipat area: SDO
Ravindra, SDO of Karnal region of Irrigation Department, said that no case of water theft has been reported in Karnal region of Munak Head till now. The area where factory operators extract water and lay pipes is under Panipat, only they can provide information.
Theft must have happened at night: XEN
Suresh, XEN of Irrigation Department, Panipat, said that strict action is taken against taking out water from the canal without permission. Our teams regularly inspect the Munak canal area. Many times heavy fines have been imposed on water theft being detected here. No case of theft was found during the day. Water theft must be happening at night only. Many cases have been detected in small canals.