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Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Water sharing row: What is Dam Safety Act & why Punjab wants to repeal it
With Punjab's dispute over Haryana's demand for additional water snowballing into a political storm, there is a growing demand in the border state for repealing the Dam Safety Act. Parties in Punjab say the law gives Centre the control over dams located within the state's territory. Details What does it provide? The Dam Safety Act, 2021, aims to provide for the surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of specified dams across the country to prevent dam failure-related disasters and establish an institutional mechanism to ensure their safe functioning. It received the President's assent on Dec 13, 2021. What are specified dams? Specified dams in the country are defined as dams with a height of more than 15 metres, or between 10 and 15 metres with certain design and structural conditions, such as reservoir capacity or flood discharge capacity. This includes dams on both inter-state and intra-state rivers. What is Punjab's stance? Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann indicated on Monday that the state govt was already working on a draft to replace it with its own legislation. The resolution moved by the AAP govt in the Punjab assembly on Monday sought the repeal of the Dam Safety Act. Punjab minister for water resources Barinder Kumar Goyal alleged that the Centre was trying to use the law to exercise control over dams in states. 'That is their planning. Dams belong to the state, and they have no business to interfere,' he said. Congress objecting to parts of trifurcation law too The Congress has also objected to sections 78, 79, and 80 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, which laid out the grounds for the trifurcation of Punjab, on similar grounds. After the session, Congress MLA Pargat Singh said the AAP govt is silent on the law. 'These were overlooked even during the Punjab Termination Agreement Act, 2004. Both the laws should be annulled. There should be an expert committee to follow up on the issue,' he said. What do the parts state? Sections 78, 79, and 80 specifically deal with the rights and liabilities related to the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects, which are crucial water and power resources in the region. 'The main objection is that these sections, particularly 79, give Centre the control over the management and distribution of Punjab's river waters. Opposition parties argue that the arrangement undermines Punjab's riparian rights and its control over its own water resources. A related concern is that the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), under central control, may not adequately protect Punjab's interests in sharing water,' Pargat Singh said.
Scroll.in
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
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.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Himachal wants amicable solution to Bhakra-Nangal water row, but seeks 12% free power royalty
Shimla: Amid the ongoing water-sharing dispute between Punjab and Haryana, Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Saturday said the hill state wants an amicable solution between both these states. But he maintained that they should, at the same time, also respect Himachal's right to 12% free royalty over power generated from the Bhakra-Nangal project. At present, Himachal gets 7.19% free royalty over the total power generated by the Bhakra-Nangal hydropower project, following Supreme Court orders. However, the hill state claims 12% free royalty over power, as per its own policy. Until now, Himachal has maintained a neutral stand in the BBMB meetings between Punjab and Haryana. Sukhu said, "Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan get most of the water distributed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). When we ask BBMB members for our rights, we do not even get our rights. Both Punjab and Haryana are our brothers. The water dispute between them should be resolved through discussions. But when we wanted to raise the revenue earned from the generation of power through water, both these states objected to it. They should not do this. We are not asking for any right over water." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mana Cresta Premium 2.5 & 3 BHK @ ₹1.27 Cr* onwards | Off Sarjapur Road Mana Group Get Quote Undo Sukhu further said the people of Himachal became oustees as their lands were acquired for this project in Bilaspur, but the fight for water is in Punjab. Water is a national resource. All should sit together to find a solution, he added. The Himachal CM reiterated that Haryana and Punjab should understand that when Himachal comes to attend BBMB meetings, they should also lend it their support in protecting its own rights. After the Himachal govt approached the Supreme Court on Sept 27, 2011, a division bench of Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik ruled, "It is hereby declared that the plaintiff-state (Himachal Pradesh) is entitled to 7.19% of the power of the composite state of Punjab from the Bhakra-Nangal project with effect from 01.11.1966 and from the Beas project with effect from the dates of production in units I and II." Himachal's right over Bhakra-Nangal The Bhakra dam over the Satluj river was proposed in 1944 in the erstwhile state of Bilaspur, now in Himachal Pradesh. The construction of the Bhakra dam has brought about a lot of benefits to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and the Union territory of Chandigarh, but it has resulted in the submergence of 41,600 acres of land, of which 27,869 acres was in the erstwhile Bilaspur state of Himachal. Three-fourths of the reservoir of the Bhakra dam is located in erstwhile Bilaspur. The Himachal govt had apprised the apex court about it through its petition. As 7.19% of the total population of the composite state of Punjab was transferred to Himachal Pradesh, , along with the transferred territories, under the 1966 Punjab Reorganisation Act, Himachal was entitled to 7.19% of the total power generated in the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas hydropower projects, as per the recommendation of KS Subrahmanyam, former chairman of the Central Electrical Authority, in his report dated June 29, 1979. However, the Centre agreed in principle that the "mother state" which houses a hydroelectric power project by bearing the reservoir of water required for the generation of hydroelectric power shall be entitled to at least 12% of the total power generated from such a project free of cost. Therefore, Himachal claimed since it is the mother state in which the reservoirs of these two hydropower projects were located, it was entitled to the free supply of 12% of the total power generated by the two projects.
