Punjab, May 5, 2025: A special session of the Punjab Assembly is scheduled to take place today. Following the decision by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to provide additional water to Haryana, amidst a tense atmosphere, the Punjab government has called for this special session. The session will begin at 11 AM today. During this session, there is a possibility that a proposal will be brought against the BJP-led central government, the Haryana government, and the BBMB’s decision.
It is noteworthy that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had informed the legislators and ministers in a meeting about the ongoing water issue with Haryana and stated that during the assembly session, discussions will be held on taking concrete steps to protect Punjab’s water resources. Prior to this, CM Mann had also called for an all-party meeting, in which all the political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, united to declare their firm resolve to protect Punjab’s water.
What is the issue?
The water issue between Punjab and Haryana is quite old. However, the matter has recently heated up when Haryana, after using its share of water, demanded more water from Punjab. The Punjab government began providing 4,000 cusecs of water to Haryana on humanitarian grounds for drinking and other essential purposes, but Haryana continued to demand additional water, which the Punjab government rejected. Meanwhile, on April 28, during a BBMB meeting, the Punjab government refused to provide additional water to Haryana. This led to a series of statements from politicians in both Punjab and Haryana.
Haryana’s Irrigation Minister Shruti Chaudhary met with Central Water Power Minister CR Patil in Delhi on this issue. On April 30, BBMB decided to provide 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana. Additionally, the Director of Water Regulation at Bhakra Dam, Akashdeep, who was from Punjab’s quota, was removed and replaced by Haryana’s Sanjeev Kumar. After this, the matter gained further attention, and Punjab adopted a stance against providing additional water to Haryana. On this issue, leaders from both the government and opposition parties have appeared together and declared their firm stance against the decisions taken by the central government and BBMB.
Summary:
The Punjab Assembly convened a special session to address the water-sharing dispute with Haryana, rejecting additional water release and reaffirming Punjab’s stance on water rights.