Mann said that already the state has given 4000 cusecs of water to Haryana on humanitarian grounds to fulfill their drinking water needs. He said the water situation is dismal in the state, with water in the Ranjit Singh Dam and Pong Dam being 39 feet and 24 feet lower compared to the level recorded last year at the same time.He said that the BJP should refrain from politicising the issue, noting that Punjab contributes 185 metric tons of paddy to the national food pool. He said the groundwater situation in the state is very grim, adding that as most of the river resources of the state have dried up, it needs more water to cater to its irrigation needs.Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has termed the statement made by Mann regarding water distribution as shocking. He said that on April 26, he personally spoke to Mann over the phone and informed him that the technical committee of the BBMB had decided to release water to Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan on April 23. However, officers from Punjab were showing reluctance in implementing this decision. On that day, Mann gave a clear assurance that he would immediately instruct his officers to ensure its implementation by the next morning, said Saini.He further said that the Punjab government, however, did nothing and even stopped responding to calls from Haryana government officials, following which he wrote a letter to Mann to apprise him about the facts. Saini said he is astonished that instead of responding to his letter even after 48 hours, Mann had released a video in an attempt to mislead the public by disregarding the facts and polishing his political image in Punjab.
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