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Punjab would have no water in 15 years: Amarinder

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Chandigarh, June 27 (IANS) Punjab may mean the land of five rivers but the agrarian state may not be left with any water in the next 15 years, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh warned on Wednesday.

“Punjab would have no water left in the next 15 years unless immediate steps are taken to control the situation.

“With the highest rate of decline in ground water level, Punjab has the highest percentage of dark zones in the country,” Amarinder Singh said, expressing serious concern over the depleting water levels.

Mission Director of the Directorate of Ground Water Management Arunjit Singh Miglani said: “Punjab, which has the highest rate of groundwater exploitation, had during 2008-2013 on an average withdrawn 28.2 Million Acre Feet (MAF) yearly, with yearly average replenishment of only 18.9 MAF, thus causing a severe shortage.”

The Chief Minister underlined the need for a Master Plan for conservation of water and suggested including water conservation in school curriculums to create awareness among children about the importance of saving ground water.

Looking at the critical situation, Amarinder Singh appealed to farmers to minimize the use of tubewells and shift to canal-based irrigation.

Miglani, who made a detailed presentation to the Cabinet highlighting the gravity of the problem, said: “Punjab uses 73 per cent of its groundwater for irrigation, while only 27 per cent of surface water is utilized for irrigation purposes.

“The number of tubewells in the state had gone up exponentially – from 2 lakh in 1971 to 12.50 lakh in 2015-16 – with 41 per cent of these having the availability of water at the depth of beyond 60 metres.”

The Chief Minister also exhorted the farmers to go for crop diversification instead of sowing water guzzling crops like paddy, which requires 150 cm of watering even though actual requirement for plant growth is only 60 cm with the remaining water getting lost in evaporation, a spokesman said here.

The Punjab Cabinet, which met here on Wednesday, set up a five-member sub-committee to assess the ground water situation in the state and come out with a detailed proposal for conservation of the critical resource.

Amarinder Singh suggested that the committee, comprising Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Revenue Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Environment Minister O.P. Soni, should visit Israel to study the methods being used by the West Asian country to minimize the use of ground water.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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