Chandigarh May 6 : A hearing on the water dispute between Haryana and Punjab was held on Monday in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on a petition filed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). In the hearing, Haryana’s Advocate General stated that more than 200 water tanks in the state have dried up, and the Punjab government has stopped supplying water to Haryana.
In response, the Punjab government stated that it has provided Haryana with its share of water and cannot provide any additional water. The Punjab government emphasized that its farmers also need water for sowing paddy crops, and they too require water. The High Court will hear the matter again tomorrow.
It is worth mentioning that a special session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly was held regarding the water dispute. During the nearly 5-hour session, all parties opposed providing water to Haryana. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the water being provided to Haryana now will not be available in the future. In response to the accusation made by Deputy Saini that Haryana’s water supply is being stopped while water is going to Pakistan, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann clarified that not a single drop of water is going to Pakistan.
The Chief Minister added that in the past six months, Punjab has written six letters to Haryana, reminding them about the water issue, but they have not responded. The Pong Dam is short by 33 feet of water, and the other two dams are in a similar situation. Despite this, 4,000 cusecs of water are being provided on humanitarian grounds, but instead of being thanked, the BBMB chairman was changed overnight, and the water was taken away. He further stated that in a BBMB meeting, Haryana and Rajasthan voted against Punjab, but Punjab stayed away from voting. The Himachal government remained silent, and staying silent is as if being complicit in a crime.
Mann explained that the BBMB is related to the Ravi, Sutlej, Beas, and Bhakra rivers, with portions belonging to Haryana and Rajasthan. However, the part that directly connects to Punjab should be considered. He described BBMB as a “white elephant,” with Punjab covering all its expenses while Haryana and Rajasthan send officials there, whose salaries are paid by Punjab. In such a situation, the BBMB should be abolished.
Summary: Punjab government tells High Court it can’t release more water to Haryana due to its own needs, amid Haryana’s water shortage crisis.