Kiratpur Sahib, 14 May 2025 : To save Punjab’s water, people from every corner of the state, along with leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, have been continuously sitting on a steadfast protest at Lohand Khadd in Kiratpur Sahib for the past several days. The protest received a boost today when a large number of local people, including women from various villages, joined the protest. During this time, Cabinet Ministers Harjot Singh Bains (Technical Education, Industrial Training, Language, School Education, and Higher Education Punjab) and Lal Chand Kataruchak (Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, Forests, and Wildlife Punjab) were also present at the protest.
The protest was led by the women’s committees and female sarpanches (village heads) from the Kiratpur Sahib region. The cabinet ministers assured the protesters that they were capable of continuously leading this protest, ensuring that Punjab’s water rights would not be diverted to other states.
While addressing the large and influential gathering, Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that the protests at Nangal Dam and Lohand Khadd in Kiratpur Sahib were ongoing, where the common people of Punjab are guarding their water 24/7. He mentioned that even when the state faced a blackout situation and war tensions were high, the people remained undeterred and continued their protest, while some officials, including the BBMB chairman, sought opportunities to siphon off Punjab’s water for other states, aligning with the central government.
Minister Harjot Singh Bains expressed happiness at the significant participation of women, mothers, and sisters in the protest, emphasizing that this fight was for the survival of the people of the region, as attempts were being made to seize their water rights. He pointed out that although canals had been constructed on their lands, they had never benefited from them. For the first time, their villages were receiving canal water through the Lift Irrigation Scheme, leading to increased awareness among the people who are now firmly standing up for their rights.
Bains further added that, in addition to Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, other key leaders, including several legislators, chairpersons, and common people, were also participating in the protests at Nangal Dam and Kiratpur Sahib. Punjab’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has also visited Nangal Dam multiple times and is continuously fighting for the protection of the state’s water resources.
He criticized the opposition for labeling the protests as political stunts and questioned how they had contributed to protecting Punjab’s water during their tenure. He emphasized that political parties, including Congress, BJP, and Akali Dal, had all ruled but had failed to provide water to the people of the Changer region. The current government, however, had started the initiative to ensure water for the people of this region.
On this occasion, Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak emphasized that water is the right of the people of Punjab, and while they never stopped the rightful share of water for other states, the neighboring states had rejected their offer when Punjab had surplus water. He also mentioned that when Punjab’s government took legal action to protect its water rights, the honorable court had asked the BBMB chairman to clarify the facts.
Bains further stated that the Chief Minister, Bhagwant Singh Mann, has always been at the forefront of fighting for Punjab’s rights, whether it was for the state’s water or against central pressure to supply water to Haryana. All the ministers of Punjab are committed to safeguarding the state’s water resources and are actively participating in the ongoing protests in Nangal and Kiratpur Sahib.
On this occasion, prominent leaders such as Kamicker Singh Dadi, Ram Kumar Mukari, Parminder Singh Jimmy, Kesar Singh Sandhu, and several other Panchayat members, along with hundreds of women and villagers from different women’s committees, played a vital role in leading the protest.
Summary: Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced strong support for the state’s water surveillance campaign, with backing from local communities and environmental groups, aiming to safeguard water resources.