Water-sharing dispute: Punjab & Haryana HC adjourns review plea to 20 May, Mann claims victory
Punjab government's petition challenges the court's 6 May order directing the release of additional water to Haryana, amidst an escalating dispute over water-sharing by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
'The adjournment of the case to 20 May means we have emerged as the winners. We didn't give them (Haryana) a single drop of additional water. We fought in the courts, stood with the state's rights,' the Punjab chief minister said at an event in Ludhiana.
Gurugram: The Punjab and Haryana High Court Wednesday adjourned to 20 May Punjab's review petition against its earlier order of supplying additional water from the Bhakra Dam to Haryana, which Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann termed their victory, as the fresh supply cycle anyway begins that day.
Mann took to X Wednesday, posting videos of his speech during the inauguration of a few development projects at Ludhiana.
'I was to come for this inauguration when I was informed that the BBMB people were about to open doors to release additional waters for Haryana. So, I decided to move towards Nangal first. I went there and stopped them from releasing the water. Today, our case was heard in the high court. It has now been adjourned to 20 May,' he said.
Then, with a sneer on his face, and amid applause by the audience, he added, 'On the night of 20 and 21 May, we will anyway give them water.'
The bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel issued notices to the central government, Haryana government and the BBMB, seeking their responses to Punjab's plea by 20 May.
Punjab has requested the cancellation or modification of the 6 May order, alleging the BBMB concealed crucial facts to secure the decision. Punjab also referred to a meeting chaired by the Union home secretary, which it argued lacked procedural legitimacy.
Citing Rule 7 of the BBMB Rules 1974, Punjab stated that any policy decision affecting a state's rights must be referred to the central government for a decision.
Punjab argued that it had already taken up the matter to the Centre, but no response was received, yet the BBMB proceeded with a meeting on 30 April—without Punjab's representation—and decided to release additional water to Haryana.
The water-sharing dispute flared up again on 23 April, when Haryana demanded 8,500 cusecs of water from the Bhakra-Nangal project, 4,500 cusecs more than its current allocation of 4,000 cusecs.
Punjab refused, arguing Haryana had already utilised 103 percent of its annual share—3.110 million acre-feet (MAF) of its allocated 2.987 MAF for the water year (September to August).
For the current year, BBMB allocated 5.512 MAF to Punjab, 2.987 MAF to Haryana, and 3.318 MAF to Rajasthan. Punjab emphasised its own water scarcity, particularly with groundwater depletion, and the need for canal water for the upcoming paddy sowing season.
Despite this, a BBMB technical committee in a meeting on 30 April, attended by Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi, voted to release additional water to Haryana, bypassing Punjab's dissent.
Tensions flared on 1 May when Punjab deployed police at the Nangal Dam, 13 km downstream from Bhakra, to prevent the release of water, prompting BBMB to move the high court. The court's 6 May order restrained Punjab from interfering in BBMB operations and directed the release of 8,500 cusecs to Haryana, including 500 cusecs for Rajasthan and 496 cusecs for Delhi.
However, on 8 May, BBMB Chairman Manoj Tripathi faced resistance when he arrived at the dam to oversee the release of water. Local residents and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders protested, allegedly detaining Tripathi at a guest house for over two hours. Tripathi later filed an affidavit, claiming the Punjab Police obstructed BBMB officials, who could release only 299 cusecs before they were stopped.
Mann, arriving at the scene, declared that no water would be released until the Centre's official decision from the 2 May meeting was made public. Mann has consistently accused the BJP-led Centre and Haryana of undermining Punjab's water rights.
BBMB manages water distribution from the Sutlej and Beas rivers, with the filling season for the Bhakra Dam typically starting around 21 May and lasting until 20 September, when monsoon rains replenish the reservoir. The depleting season begins 21 September and continues until 20 May. Each state's shares for the depleting and filling season are defined from their total respective shares.
With the filling season starting on 21 May, Haryana will anyway be entitled to get its due share from midnight, 20 May, the day Punjab and Haryana High Court will resume hearing in the case.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: Punjab slashing Haryana's Bhakra canal water share triggers political row, Centre likely to mediate
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