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Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab CM Mann to visit Nangal dam as BBMB's new water sharing cycle starts
With the fresh BBMB water sharing cycle starting on Wednesday, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said he will camp at Nangal Dam to ensure 'no surplus water is released to Haryana'. The CM's visit comes amidst Punjab's stiff opposition to Haryana's fresh demand for allocating 10,300 cusecs of water, which, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said it would release from Bhakra on May 21. According to top officials in the know of things, the CM would visit the dam regulator and also address party workers. Education minister Harjot Singh Bains on Tuesday said that the Punjab government has successfully deterred BBMB officials from releasing additional water to Haryana. 'Haryana would get water under the new cycle from May 21 as per the already allocated water share. Punjab CM himself would reach Nangal Dam on Wednesday to celebrate this victory,' Bains said. In the past CM has visited Nangal Dam three times - between May 1 and May 11 and had opposed the flow of surplus water to Haryana. According to BBMB's top officials, in the technical committee meeting (TCM) on May 15, last week which was attended by representatives from Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, it was decided that Haryana will get 10,300 cusecs, Punjab 17,000 cusecs and Rajasthan has been allocated 12,400 cusecs. A proposal was opposed by Punjab's water resources minister Barinder Goyal who said: '9,525 cusecs is genuine share of Haryana, which Punjab will not object, but more than that would not be allowed.' The state government is keeping a close watch on the release from Bhakra and Nangal Dams, as in past on three occasions between May 1 and May 11, he added. It could be mentioned that Punjab has stopped the release of 4,500 cusecs of surplus water to Haryana. Officials in BBMB, who were not willing to be named, informed that allocation has been made as per the state's demands, and how much actual amount of water is released to different states will be known on Wednesday. 'Haryana's demand of 10,300 cusecs would effectively leave Punjab with almost no water and exceeds what the infrastructure of the Bhakra Main Line (BML) canal can safely handle, especially at a time the repairs are going,' Goyal said. Punjab and Haryana have been at loggerheads since April 28 over the distribution of water with the AAP government in Punjab refusing to share water from the Bhakra-Nangal Dam, saying the neighbouring state Haryana has already utilised its share. A row had erupted between Punjab and Haryana last month over the water sharing issue, with AAP-ruled Punjab refusing to release more water to BJP-ruled Haryana. Punjab stated that Haryana had already utilised its allocated share of water by March. However, Haryana demanded that the AAP dispensation allow the release of water from the Bhakra Dam unconditionally. Both the states had called an all-party meeting to back their stands over the water issue. Union home secretary Govind Mohan on May 2 chaired a high-level meeting, which advised Punjab to implement the BBMB's decision to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water from the Bhakra Dam to Haryana for the next eight days to meet the state's urgent water requirements. Later, the AAP government convened a special assembly session that unanimously passed a resolution, stating that not even a single drop of water will be given from the state's share to Haryana. The matter has even reached the HC after the BBMB, in its plea, strongly objected to the deployment of Punjab Police at the Nangal dam. The high court on May 6 directed Punjab to abide by the decision of the meeting held on May 2 under the chairmanship of the Union Home Secretary. Punjab later filed an application, seeking a review or modification of the HC's order. On Wednesday, the high court sought a response from the Centre, Haryana and the BBMB on Punjab's plea. Fill vacant posts, SAD tells CM The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked the chief minister to stop indulging in cheap publicity stunts on the sensitive issue of Punjab's river waters and instead fill all the vacant posts of the state's quota in the BBMB to safeguard Punjab's interests. In a statement here, SAD leader Parambans Singh Romana said, 'The fact is that like the previous Congress government, the AAP government has failed in its responsibility to staff the BBMB with Punjab's engineers and staff. As many as 55% of all posts designated for Punjab employees in the Irrigation wing of BBMB are lying vacant and the situation in the Power wing is even worse as 73% of Punjab's posts are not being filled'.
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Consensus to confrontation: BBMB in deep waters over inter-state dispute
Blurb: Former BBMB members say differences between states were resolved at meetings and never got escalated to level that politicians would cry hoarse in public. For the first time since its inception six decades ago, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) finds itself in the crosshairs of an unseemly water-sharing dispute between partner states Punjab and Haryana, ruled by political rivals. The controversy began on April 30 when the BBMB accepted Haryana's request for the release of a surplus 4,500 cusecs of water daily from the Bhakra-Nangal dam to which Punjab objected, saying the neighbouring state had exhausted its allocated share. Three of the BBMB's member states, BJP-ruled Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, voted in favour of releasing the surplus water, outnumbering AAP-ruled Punjab, while Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh abstained. A statutory body constituted under Sections 79 and 80 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, the BBMB plays a central role in the distribution of water among partner states -- Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. At the beginning of the accounting year in August-September, depending on the monsoon, the BBMB determines the amount of water to be allocated to each state. For this year, the board allocated 5.512 million acre-feet (MAF) to Punjab, 2.987 MAF to Haryana, and 3.318 MAF to Rajasthan. While Haryana sought the surplus water for drinking water purposes in Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad districts, Punjab called a special session of the assembly on May 5 after an all-party meeting and resolved it didn't have a drop to spare for the neighbouring state that had already withdrawn 3.110 MAF or 104% of its share for the year. Caught in the crossfire, BBMB chairman Manoj Tripathi, who had been asked by the Union ministry of home affairs on May 2 and the high court on May 5 to ensure that surplus water was released to Haryana, found himself confined to the guest house at Nangal dam for three hours on May 8 as Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains and Aam Aadmi Party supporters locked the gate to prevent him from releasing the surplus water to Haryana. Tool to up political ante Besides the chairman, the BBMB has two full-time members, designated as a member (irrigation), who as a precedent comes from Haryana, and a member (power) from Punjab. As on date, the board chairman officiates as member irrigation and a senior officer from the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited is the member, power. But on May 1, the BBMB struck a discordant note by relieving Punjab's executive engineer, irrigation, of the key water-regulating charge. 'It needs deep understanding when different states have interests involved. The top man in the board should play a fair game and must have the power to convince top officials of partner states,' said a former BBMB chairman, requesting anonymity. 'There were times when the then Punjab chief minister used to take my word as final,' he said. According to a former BBMB member (power) Ashok Thapar, 'Discord between states is not a good sign. There were differences between states earlier also but they were resolved in the confines of the office, and never got escalated to this level that politicians would cry hoarse in public. The BBMB, once a symbol of national pride, is being used as a tool to up the political ante.' While Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini has termed the need for surplus water a genuine demand to fulfil drinking water needs, his Punjab counterpart, Bhagwant Mann, has called it 'an attempt to rob Punjab of its precious resource at the cost of farmers'. Between May 1 and 11, Mann reached Nangal dam to stop the flow of water to Haryana thrice. He even accused Union power minister and former Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar of acting behind the scenes to coerce the BBMB for releasing surplus water to Haryana. Silt bigger challenge for board The BBMB is expected to tide over the confrontation between Punjab and Haryana by May 21 when the filling season at Bhakra and Pong dams begins. 'The dams start filling water with the snow melt and later with the monsoon from July to September 21, the states will get water according to the demand raised,' a BBMB official said. From September 22 when the filling season ends, water will be rationed and allocations made in proportion to the available water and individual share of the states. A bigger challenge for the board, however, is silt accumulating in the reservoir of Bhakra dam. The dead storage level of the dam is 1,462 feet which, BBMB officials say, is set to increase due to the silt in the reservoir. 'The total storage of Bhakra's reservoir is 7.8 MAF of which 1.97 MAF is dead storage capacity. This is increasing because of the huge quantity of silt entering the reservoir due to urbanisation in the catchment area of the dam,' a retired BBMB engineer said. 'Instead of political rhetoric, the partner states should focus on the dam's safety and longevity,' he added. The reservoir is spread over 168 sq km and silt coming in the reservoir is much more than expected when the dam was commissioned in 1963. Due to the silt, the dam fills and empties at a faster pace.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Chandni Chowk revamp Phase 2 gets a fresh push. Here are the details
A phased revamp, which will include vertical expansion of buildings and an infrastructural overhaul, is on the cards for Old Delhi's wholesale markets with the BJP government initiating discussions on the second phase of the Chandni Chowk redevelopment project. According to sources, the Delhi government is finalising a phased redevelopment strategy across several historic markets of the Walled City — Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazar, Jama Masjid, Kashmere Gate, Sadar Bazar, Daryaganj, and Chawri Bazar. The project has been in limbo since the first phase was completed in 2021. It involved the facelift of a 1.3 km-long stretch of the market, between Lal Jain Mandir to Fatehpuri Masjid, in 2021 under the AAP-ruled Delhi government. Sources said that after the goals under the second phase are accomplished, the government might consider addressing the gaps in the first phase of the project. The project's second phase, which includes plans to carry out facade improvement of buildings along the 1.5 km-long Chandni Chowk main market and the improvement of six adjoining roads, is pending. The ruling BJP has been holding discussions on new plans to redevelop major areas of the Walled City using what the party leaders referred to as a 'triple engine' effort, with the party ruling the Centre, city, and civic body. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, engaging representatives from the Walled City's trade associations to discuss the roadmap for redevelopment. 'The aim is to arrive at an amicable way in which we can redevelop the Walled City. Our priorities will include removal of encroachments, replacing overhead wires with underground systems, and overhaul of sanitation and drainage systems — while ensuring there is no disruption of commerce and that the Walled City remains functional during the transformation,' said Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal. He also accused the previous AAP government of being ignorant of the problems of the traders during the earlier facelift. On the phased redevelopment strategy, a government official explained, 'Take Lajpat Nagar Market for instance — it has over 200 traders. We'll appoint a developer for comprehensive redevelopment, which is expected to take two–three years. In the meantime, shops will be temporarily relocated to an open space to ensure business continuity. Once work is complete, traders will be moved back, and the space will be reused to accommodate the next market undergoing renovation.' One of the cornerstones of this phase of redevelopment, officials said, will be to move towards 'vertical growth' of buildings and turning existing wholesale market shops into four-storey commercial buildings — a shift aimed at easing congestion and optimising space usage. 'Everything will be done with the consent of market associations. The goal is to preserve traders' interests while creating modern infrastructure,' said Khandelwal. He added that a new warehousing and industrial policy is also in the works, promising increased business and employment opportunities for the area. The redevelopment drive received a significant boost from the Centre. The project reportedly got a fresh push after Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal visited Chandni Chowk last month. Khandelwal revealed that he requested Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to greenlight comprehensive modernisation plans for both Old Delhi and New Delhi railway stations, which are close to the Walled City. 'There is tremendous scope to commercially utilise the vacant land around these stations,' he said. Not just redevelopment, but the issue of renaming has also gained steam. A few days ago, Sanjay Bhargava, President, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, wrote to the UD Minister to rename Shahjahanabad to Indraprastha. Earlier, Khandelwal had urged the authorities concerned to consider renaming the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC), which was involved in Phase 1 of the project completed in 2021, to the Indraprastha Redevelopment Corporation. Criticising work in the earlier phase carried out by the AAP government, Khandelwal said, 'It was arbitrary and led to a 40–50% trade decline. It's a redevelopment in name only.' However, AAP's Delhi Chief Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of 'orchestrating a major conspiracy against Delhi business persons.' He said, 'Rekha Gupta must withdraw her statement on market relocation; AAP strongly opposes the BJP government's conspiracy against Delhi businesspersons.'
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
High Court's "Enemy Country" Reference To Slam Punjab-Haryana Water Dispute
New Delhi: The raging water dispute between Punjab and Haryana has irked the High Court, which pointed out today that while India has decided to take measures against Pakistan, states within the country "should not be doing the same against each other". "We are doing this to our enemy country. Let us not do this within our States," said Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, who was part of the two-judge bench with Justice Sumeet Goel. Punjab has refused to release water to Haryana, passing a resolution in the state assembly that vows not to spare even a single drop of water from its share. The state subsequently has taken over of the Nangal dam, accusing the BJP government of Haryana of trying to cut off its water supply after a decision was taken to release additional water to Haryana. Punjab has now deployed additional police personnel at the dam. The Punjab and Haryana High Court took exception to the dispute today, while hearing a petition by the Bhakra Beas Management Board or BBMB. The BBMB has sought intervention against the alleged takeover of the Nangal dam by Punjab. "The reservoir is going to overflow and the downstream states are going to go dry," said senior advocate Rajesh Garg representing the BBMB. The row over water sharing started after AAP-ruled Punjab refused to release more water to BJP-ruled Haryana, claiming the latter has "already used 103 per cent of its allocated share of water by March". The Supreme Court today directed the Punjab and Haryana governments to cooperate with the Centre and resolve the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal row. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih said, "We direct both states to cooperate with the Union of India in arriving at an amicable solution".
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Dam Safety Act attack on Punjab's rights, must be annulled: Resolution
The resolution, moved by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government during a special session of the assembly, on Monday sought immediate annulment of Dam Safety Act-2021, calling it a direct attack on Punjab's rights. Punjab water resources minister Barinder Kumar Goyal, who moved the resolution, said: 'The BJP has been trying to take away the rights of Punjab through its governments in Haryana and at the Centre, and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).' '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. This is against India's federal structure and undermines the sovereign right of states such as Punjab over their water. Therefore, this House demands from the central government that the Act be repealed immediately and Government of Punjab rejects it completely,' Goyal said while reading out the resolution. Mann, while speaking in the House, also outrightly rejected the Dam Safety Act. 'Punjab can protect its dams on its own. It doesn't need anyone else,' he said. The resolution also sought reorganisation of the BBMB. 'At present, the BBMB has become a mere puppet of the BJP government at the Centre. In the meetings of the BBMB, Punjab is neither being heard nor are the rights of Punjabis being taken care of. So, the BBMB should be reorganised to protect the rights of Punjab,' it said. The row over water sharing erupted after AAP-ruled Punjab refused to release more water to BJP-ruled Haryana, claiming the latter has 'already used 103% of its allocated share of water by March'. In 2023, following the passage of the Dam Safety Act, BBMB had moved a proposal for deployment of four companies, each led by a commandant-rank officer with total 435 personnel, at Bhakra Dam, Nangal Dam and other key regulators and water channels (canals). At present, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) only guards the BBMB's Beas Sutlej Link (BSL) project in Sundernagar that falls in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. The Punjab government, however, rejected the proposal citing heavy cost for a cash-strapped state. 'We have been objecting to the deployment of the central security forces at dam installations as it involves cost that is four times more than deploying state police,' said a senior official in the Punjab irrigation department. The state police continue to guard the installations that fall under its jurisdiction. It includes power houses of Bhakra Dam built over river Sutlej and downstream Nangal Dam BBMB, on its part, said: 'We are in the process of bringing central forces to guard the dam and other installations related with its system.' After Bhakra, the BBMB would begin process for deployment of central forces at Pong Dam which is built over Beas, said a BBMB official, pleading anonymity.
