Resources in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal
IN
PUNJAB
> Bhakra-Nangal Dam is a multipurpose river valley project encompassing the three eastern flowing rivers-Sutlej, Beas and Ravi- as well as the Yamuna. Completed in 1963, the Bhakra Dam is a 225.55-meter high concrete dam. The lake created by the dam is 162.48 square km. The Nangal Dam, situated about 13 kms downstream of the Bhakra dam, is 29 metres high.
> The Ranjit Sagar Dam, also known as the Thein Dam, is a hydroelectric project constructed by the
Punjab Irrigation Department
on the Ravi River at the border of Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
> Shahpur Kandi Dam is a hydroelectric and irrigation project currently under construction on the Ravi River in the Pathankot district of Punjab. It will utilize the water released from the Ranjit Sagar Dam for power generation and irrigation in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
> Capacity of Bhakra Dam - 1680 feet
> Capacity of Pong Dam- 1390 feet
> Capacity of Ranjit Sagar Dam- 1731.99 feet
PUNJAB'S SORE POINTS
> Punjab Reorganisation Act: The Centre introduced section 78 and 80 to the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, under which the Centre can virtually assume the powers of control, maintenance, distribution and development of the hydel power of the Punjab rivers.
> Water To 'Non-Riparian' States: In 1976, the Centre also allotted over 75% of the available Punjab waters to the non-riparian areas of Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
> SYL Canal: After 1966, Haryana planned the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to carry 5 MAF of water. The project was approved by the Centre, but Punjab objected to it. Haryana demanded 5.9 billion m3 out of Punjab's total 8.9 billion m3 share of water, while Punjab claimed the entire quantity of water.
> Demand to Reject the Dam Safety Act: Citing the ongoing water dispute with Haryana over the latter's demand for release of additional 8500 cusecs water and alleging the Dam Safety Act is being used against Punjab's interests, the Congress is pressing the state government to reject the legislation in a special assembly session. Punjab maintains that managing river waters and dams within its borders is a state matter, arguing the Act, passed by Parliament, violates its constitutional right to legislate on water issues (Entry 17 of the State List) by granting the central government excessive control
DAMS IN PUNJAB
Name
Purpose
District
Ranjit Sagar dam
Flood control, hydroelectric, irrigation
Pathankot
Shahpur Kandi dam
Hydroelectric, irrigation
Gurdaspur
Siswan dam
Flood control, irrigation
Mohali
Thana dam
Flood control, irrigation
Hoshiarpur
Saleran dam
Flood control, irrigation
Hoshiarpur
Perch dam
Flood control, irrigation
Mohali
Mirzapur dam
Flood control, irrigation
Mohali
Maili dam
Flood control, irrigation
Hoshiarpur
Janauri dam
Flood control, irrigation
Hoshiarpur
Jainti dam
Flood control, irrigation
Mohali
Dholbaha dam
Flood control, irrigation
Hoshiarpur
Chohal dam
Flood control, irrigation
Hoshiarpur
SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Amid the ongoing Punjab-Haryana dispute over Haryana's demand for additional 8,500 cusecs of water, the projected levels on June 30, 2025, with peak demand of states and average demand of past years
Period
Tentative requirement of all partner states, excluding Upper Bahri Doab Canal (cusecs)
Expected Bhakra inflows + release from other 2 dams (cusecs)
Expected level of Bhakra Dam (feet)
May 21 to 31
35000
25000
1532
June 1 to 10
40000
29000
1515
June 11 to 20
43000
37000
1503
June 21 to 30
45000
43000
1501
BHAKRA BEAS MANAGEMENT BOARD: BBMB is responsible for the management of the waters of the Satluj, Beas, and Ravi rivers and their allocation to the partner states: Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. While Himachal Pradesh and Delhi also receive some water, they are not considered full partner states in the same way regarding the original agreements. At the start of each water accounting year, the BBMB assesses the total available water in the reservoirs. Based on agreed-upon shares, it allocates a certain volume of water to each partner state. These allocations are largely based on agreements made in 1955 and 1981.
Sept 2024-May 2025 allocation
Punjab | 5.512 MAF
Haryana | 2.987 MAF
Rajasthan | 3.318 MAF
(Million acre feet: MAF)
HARYANA
Tajewala barrage | This barrage is on the Yamuna River, which is a crucial water source for Delhi and surrounding area
Hathni Kund barrage | Located near the Tajewala barrage, it also plays a vital role in managing the Yamuna river's flow
Ottu barrage | A masonry weir on the Ghaggar-Hakra river, it creates a large reservoir from the Dhanur Lake and is a feeder for Ghaggar canals,
Kaushalya dam | Situated near Pinjore, it's an earth-fill embankment dam on the Kaushalya River, a tributary of the Ghaggar-Hakra river
HIMACHAL
Water Availability & Requirement in Himachal Pradesh
The estimated water availability of Himachal Pradesh is nearly 58,769 million cubic meter(MCM) from various water sources. Out of the total available water, 98% or nearly 57,592 MCM comes from surface water and the remaining two percent (nearly 1,176 MCM) comes from ground water
resources
. The hill state has over 1.96 lakh sources of water, which includes Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Chenab and Yamuna rivers, besides glaciers, lakes, streams(kuhls), ponds and borewells.
Whereas the total water requirement of the state has been estimated to be over 1,600 MCM per year out of which 80% is required for agricultural purposes and the remaining for domestic drinking, livestock rearing and industrial purposes. Out of the total 55.67 lakh hectare geographical areas of Himachal, only 5.83 lakh hectare is cultivable. The state has over 41,600 handpumps.
As per Census 2011, the population of Himachal Pradesh was 68.65 lakh. Total 17.09 lakh households in rural areas of Himachal have been provided household water connections with 100% coverage.
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