Punjab passes resolution against sharing water with Haryana
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab on Monday passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly vowing not to spare 'even a single drop of water' from its share for neighbouring Haryana, The Hindu reported.
This comes amid escalating tensions between the two states over water-sharing.
The resolution, moved by state Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal during a special session of the Assembly, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to 'take away' Punjab's rights through state governments, the Centre and the Bhakra Beas Management Board.
The BJP is the ruling party in Haryana.
The board is responsible for the administration and maintenance of the Bhakra Nangal and Beas projects. It regulates the supply of water and power to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh.
The Bhakra Nangal project comprises two dams on the Satluj river: the Bhakra dam in Himachal Pradesh and the Nangal dam in Punjab. The Beas project is a multi-purpose river valley project comprising the Beas-Satluj Link Canal and the Beas Dam.
The current row erupted over Haryana's request to release water from Bhakra Nangal, which was opposed by Punjab.
The resolution said that the Punjab government would no longer accept decisions made by the Bhakra Beas Management Board on water distribution, according to The Hindu.
Punjab's water had been diverted to other states by the board for years, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann claimed in the Assembly.
'Now the BJP government has started using this board for its political interests,' The Hindu quoted him as saying. 'Without consulting Punjab, meetings are being called at midnight, and under pressure from other states, Punjab's rightful share is being taken away.'
Calling it 'unconstitutional' and 'illegal', the Aam Aadmi Party leader said that Bhakra Beas Management Board meetings were being convened to forcibly divert Punjab's water to Haryana. He added that Haryana had already used its allocated yearly share of water by March 31.
The waters of the Sutlej and Beas rivers belonged entirely to Punjab, claimed Mann. 'We will now use this water fully for ourselves,' he added.
The chief minister also called the Dam Safety Act a 'serious attack' on Punjab and its rights.
The Act provides a framework for the surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of dams.
'This House also considers the Dam Safety Act, 2021, to be an attack on the rights of Punjab,' The Hindu quoted the resolution as stating. 'This law fully empowers the central government to directly control the rivers and dams of the states, even if the dam is entirely within the state's borders.'
It said that the Act went against the federal structure of the country and undermined the sovereign right of states like Punjab over their water.
'Therefore, this House demands from the Central government that the Dam Safety Act be repealed immediately and Government of Punjab rejects the Act completely,' the resolution added.
Partap Singh Bajwa, the leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, also supported the resolution. 'There's not even a single drop [of water] to spare,' The Hindu quoted the Congress leader as saying.
Current row
The fresh row between the two neighbouring states erupted on April 23 after the Haryana government sought 8,500 cusecs of water from the Bhakra Nangal project, which was 4,500 cusecs more than what it was receiving, The Indian Express reported.
The Punjab government, however, opposed the request.
On April 30, the BJP governments in Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi voted in favour of releasing extra water to Haryana during a Bhakra Beas Management Board meeting. Himachal Pradesh, which is ruled by the Congress, abstained from voting.
Punjab refused to open additional sluice gates at the Nangal dam that would have released extra water to Haryana, according to The Indian Express.
On its part, Punjab claimed that Haryana had already withdrawn 3.110 MAF (million acre feet), or 104%, of its share for the whole year.
In response, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini accused Punjab of playing 'dirty politics' and claimed that the state had not even received what it was due.
On Friday, the Haryana government said it would move the Supreme Court to secure its fair share of water, The Indian Express reported.
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