Rupnagar, May 1 : Exposing the conspiracy of the BJP-led central and Haryana governments to rob Punjabis of their rightful share of water, Punjab Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains stated that Punjab is an agriculture-dominant state and not even a single extra drop of water will be allowed to go to Haryana — even if it means sacrificing our lives.
The Education Minister said that 90% of Punjab’s land has groundwater levels that have dropped so low that it has been declared a “dark zone.” The BJP-led central government’s order through the BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board) to release 8500 cusecs of water to Haryana is a tyrannical decree and a betrayal to Punjabis, which the state government has already rejected.
He added that due to the severe depletion of groundwater in Punjab, large-scale efforts are now being made to shift agriculture towards canal water. In just the Sri Anandpur Sahib constituency, a plan costing ₹100 crore is being implemented to bring nearly 10,000 acres of barren land under irrigation using piped canal water.
Harjot Bains clearly stated that the BJP-led governments in Haryana and at the Centre want to oppress Punjab. It is extremely unfortunate that the BBMB keeps passing new resolutions to encroach on Punjab’s waters. It is even replacing Punjab’s designated officers — but the Punjab government will firmly safeguard its rights and not allow anyone to steal our water.
The Cabinet Minister reaffirmed that the protection of Punjab’s water rights is the solemn commitment of the state government. He said the Haryana government, led by the BJP, is unjustly demanding more than 2.5 times the water it actually needs. A few days ago, the Haryana government claimed that it could not manage with the current water it receives from Punjab and demanded an additional 8500 cusecs daily — a blatant attempt to seize more water.
The Education Minister further said this water crisis exists because Haryana has mismanaged its own water resources. Despite this, Punjab has been supplying water daily since April.
Harjot Bains revealed that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has clearly told the Haryana government that Punjab does not have a single extra drop of water to share with any other state. The BBMB annually allocates water between Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, a policy that is in effect from May 21 of the current year until May 20 of the following year.
After this, the Haryana government appealed to Punjab, stating it lacked even drinking water for its people. Out of humanitarian concern, Punjab showed generosity and began supplying 4000 cusecs of water daily to Haryana from March 6, 2025. However, despite Haryana’s population being around 3 crore — which would require only 1700 cusecs to meet their needs — the central government is conspiring to forcibly take Punjab’s water, which will not be allowed to succeed under any circumstances.
He further noted that Punjab is already struggling with water shortages for irrigation due to the declining water table and dangerously low water levels in dams. Citing this, the Chief Minister said that water levels have dropped in the Pong Dam, Bhakra Dam, and Ranjit Sagar Dam by 32 feet, 12 feet, and 14 feet respectively, compared to last year.
Present at the occasion were: Rupnagar MLA Advocate Shri Dinesh Chadha, Aam Aadmi Party district president Harminder Singh Dhaha, Market Committee Chairman Bhag Singh Madan, Improvement Trust Chairman Shiv Kumar Lalpura, constituency anti-drug coordinator Avtar Kooner, State Joint Secretary Chetan Kalia, AAP leader Kamikkar Singh Dhadi, Education Minister’s media coordinator Deepak Soni, Jaspal Singh Dhaha, Jujhar Singh Aaspur, Sandeep Joshi, and other workers.
Summary:
Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains declared no extra water will go to Haryana, citing severe water scarcity and political pressure from the BJP.