Punjab to act against illegal water connections

October 7th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said the controversial issue of sharing of water between Haryana and Punjab should be sorted out through talks. The water sharing has been a thorny issue between both states with Haryana seeking completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and Punjab opposing the move.

August 20th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - All villages in certain districts of Punjab that are affected by salinity in water will have reverse osmosis (RO) plants within 21 months to provide clean water to villagers, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said Thursday. The districts of Ferozepur, Bathinda, Faridkot, Mansa and Muktsar in south-west Punjab are known as the cancer belt of the state.

August 12th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - This is one decision that will see millions of people in Punjab ease themselves comfortably. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal Wednesday gave the go ahead to an ambitious project of constructing 300,000 toilets in over 12,000 villages across the state.

July 17th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Many Punjab villagers are benefiting from a clean drinking water programme run by a non-governmental organization, which is establishing Reverse Osmosis (R.O) plants. So far, Naandi foundation has established 85 R.O plants, which are providing clean water to more than 450 villages.

June 30th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - More water would be released from Bhakra and Pong dams after the level in their reservoirs increased in the last few days, an official said Tuesday much to the relief of Punjab and Haryana paddy farmers. A spokesman of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), that manages these dams, said the water release was being restored to 28,000 cusecs from Bhakra Dam while from Pong Dam it will be 7,000 cusecs.

June 24th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - The depleting water level in the Bhakra Nangal dam is going to further problems of many north Indian States who depend heavily on it for irrigation and drinking water purposes. With a delayed monsoon and prevailing heat conditions, the level of water has reduced to 1,504 feet (450 metres), which is 90 feet less than what it was at the corresponding time last year.

June 20th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - The microbiology department of Punjab Agricultural University has developed a water testing kit to help people test water at their homes and ward off numerous water borne diseases. "From what I have surveyed, 85 percent of the water sample in Punjab is not portable.

June 20th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Punjab Agricultural University's microbiology department has developed a water testing kit to help people ward off numerous water borne diseases. The kit, priced at just 30 rupees, was earlier used to test water samples from various offices, hospitals and other organisations, but now people can test water in their homes.

June 4th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Noted green warrior Balbir Singh Seechewal Thursday expressed serious concern over the environmental degradation and depleting water table in Punjab and urged the people to join in efforts to improve matters. Speaking to reporters here on the eve of World Environment Day, Seechewal also criticised the people of the state for being culpable for the environmental degradation.

May 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi residents can hope for improved water supply as the Supreme Court Wednesday ordered the Haryana government to begin releasing 125 cusecs of water per day to the capital's Nangloi reservoir. A bench of Chief Justice K.G.

May 2nd, 2009 JALALABAD - Trying to strike an emotive chord on the issue of female foeticide in Punjab - a state with one of the worst sex ratios in the country - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday called upon people of the prosperous state to wash the blot of killing daughters. 'I am the proud father of three daughters.

April 14th, 2009 TALWANDI SABO - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said that the benefits of several schemes launched by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government were not reaching the people of Punjab because of corruption in the state. 'The Manmohan Singh government has done a lot for the people.

March 19th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Security at the Bhakra Dam in Himachal Pradesh has been beefed up following reports from central intelligence agencies that terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) intended to target the mega hydro-electric project. The 225-metre high Bakhra Dam is located nearly 20 km from Nangal town in Punjab.

February 17th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Enthused with the response of Reverse Osmosis (RO) drinking water plants that were set up in the Gidderbaha area of Punjab a year ago, the state government is planning to expand the project to other districts of the state. The state government has identified 471 more villages in the districts of Mansa, Fridkot, Muktsar and Bathinda in the Malwa belt in south-west Punjab where availability of safe drinking water is a problem.

January 14th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Canada Thursday sought the cooperation of the Punjab government to curb the menace of fraudulent visas being issued by unscrupulous travel and immigration agents in the state while sending people to Canada. A delegation led by Canadian Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multi-culturalism Jason Kenney Thursday met Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and sought cooperation from the Punjab government to address the issue of fraudulent visa cases.