SC adjourns hearing of Hansi-Butana Channel till April 29

New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) The UPA government today supported Haryana on the issue of construction of Hansi-Butana Channel to draw water from the Bhakra canal to meet the irrigation requirement of the state and rejected the objection raised by Punjab and Rajasthan which are opposing the construction of the channel.

Attorney General Milon K Banerjee reading out the report of Central Water Commission (CWC), submitted before the bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice J M Panchal that there shall be no water logging in Punjab and apprehensions of Punjab are not well founded as there can be safe disposal of flood water into Ghaggar river and Patiala Nadi.

According to the CWC report, there may not be serious drainage congestion upstream of the proposed channel.

The apex court, however, granted four weeks time to Punjab and Rajasthan to file their responses to the CWC report and adjourned the hearing till April 29.

There are Opposition governments in Punjab and Rajasthan while in Haryana it is Congress.

The Supreme Court, however, refused the request of the Haryana government to vacate the interim order restraning the state from puncturing the channel.

Senior counsel Ashok Desai, appearing for Haryana, told the court that Delhi also needed water and the two states should not object on the construction of Hansi-Butana Channel after getting their share of water.

Senior counsel Rajeev Dhawan appeared for Punjab while senior counsel K K Venugopal represented Rajasthan.

UNI SC SW RAI1815