Illegal: Bhakra Beas board moves court against Punjab police deployment at dam

India Today

06-05-2025

Amid the escalating water-sharing dispute between Punjab and Haryana, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which oversees the Bhakra Nangal and Beas projects, has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government's decision to deploy police personnel at the dam site.
The BBMB alleged that by deploying police, the Punjab government effectively took control of the Nangal Dam and Lohand Control Room on May 1, thereby obstructing the agreed release of 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana.
In response, Punjab defended the move in a letter to the BBMB, stating that the deployment was a precautionary security measure in light of heightened tensions with Pakistan following the April 22 terror incident in Pahalgam. The state denied any interference with the dam's operational functions.
The development comes amid renewed tensions over the sharing of Sutlej and Beas river waters, which the BBMB oversees. The dispute escalated recently after Punjab refused to release additional water to Haryana, contrary to the BBMB's directive. HIGH COURT TAKES UP PLEA
On Monday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel of the Punjab and Haryana High Court began hearings on the BBMB's petition and acknowledged two related Public Interest Litigations (PILs), one filed by a village council from Haryana and another by advocate Ravinder Dhull, both demanding water for Haryana and objecting to the police deployment.
Appearing for the BBMB, Senior Advocate Rajesh Garg, assisted by advocates Neha Matharoo and Mandeep Singh, argued that Punjab's actions violate the BBMB's statutory authority under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, calling the move illegal and unconstitutional.
According to the petition accessed by India Today, the BBMB has sought a writ directing Punjab to withdraw its police personnel and cease interference in dam operations. The board also requested an interim order to prevent further obstruction, the production of relevant case documents, exemption from certain procedural requirements, and coverage of legal costs. 2 DOZEN COPS AT DAM
Currently, around two dozen police personnel, including two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), are stationed at the Nangal Dam, up from just five previously, following Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's visit on May 1. The AAP has also set up a protest tent along the canal and launched an indefinite dharna opposing the BBMB's decision to release more water to Haryana.
Police officials maintain that only essential personnel are deployed as a precaution. Local MLA and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains claimed to have locked one of the dam's control rooms, going live on social media the same day and asserting Punjab's rightful control over the facility.
The BBMB responded by emphasising that disputes of this nature should be referred to the Central Government and not addressed through unilateral measures. The board also cautioned that involving police in dam operations poses serious risks, as they lack the technical expertise required to manage such infrastructure.
The board clarified that the additional water allocations were approved during a Technical Committee meeting on April 23 to address acute shortages in Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan. The revised distribution plan included 500 cusecs for Rajasthan and 496 cusecs for Delhi. However, Punjab refused to release more than 4,000 cusecs voluntarily, arguing that Haryana had already overdrawn its allocated share and had mismanaged its water supply.
Representing the Punjab government, Senior Advocate Gurminder Singh Garry contended that both Haryana and Rajasthan had exceeded their quotas, as per BBMB's own data from April 20. He accused Haryana of misrepresenting an irrigation demand as a drinking water crisis and noted that Punjab had already released 4,000 cusecs, well above Haryana's stated requirement of 1,700 cusecs.
With repair work on the Western Yamuna Canal now completed and no ongoing emergency in place, Punjab saw no justification for further water release. Garry also criticised the BBMB for procedural irregularities and for failing to act on Punjab's earlier complaints regarding Haryana's overuse of water. 'NO SURPLUS WATER TO HARYANA'
Amid the dispute, the Punjab Assembly on Monday passed a resolution declaring that the state would not share any additional water with Haryana. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asserted that Punjab has no surplus water and accused the BJP of using its influence in Haryana, the Centre, and the BBMB to undermine Punjab's water rights.
The resolution highlighted the state's increasing reliance on canal irrigation, with 60% of agricultural fields now receiving canal water. It noted that while Punjab had previously provided 4,000 cusecs of water to Haryana for drinking purposes, every drop is now essential to the state's needs. Interestingly, the resolution did not reference the Pahalgam terror attack or the stated security concerns behind the police deployment at the dam.
However, during his recent visit to the site, Chief Minister Mann reiterated that the security measures were taken due to national security concerns and also raised a fresh demand to divert waters from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers to Punjab, in light of the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.
Punjab has been served with the notice, though the counsel for BBMB, questioning why only the dam's security is being scrutinised when the entire state needs to be covered. Punjab is expected to clarify this during the next hearing.