BBMB releases water to Haryana, Punjab CM advises judicious use
BBMB released water to Haryana as per the new cycle, but Punjab CM Mann asserted no extra water would be shared, citing Punjab's needs.
With the beginning of the new water-sharing cycle, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) released water to Haryana from the Bhakra-Nangal Dam on Wednesday.
While the water was being released, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann addressed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters, who had been camping at the Nangal Dam for the past month to ensure no water is shared with the neighbouring state. “Water has been released according to the new cycle but Haryana should use its share judiciously as Punjab does not have even a drop of additional water to spare,” he told the AAP workers, who later called off their month-long protest.
“We successfully prevented BBMB officials from releasing extra water to Haryana. This is a victory of the people of Punjab, particularly AAP workers, who have been holding a sit-in here,” he said during his fourth visit to Nangal dam this month.
“The days when Punjab would share water with partner states from its quota are gone. Previous governments didn’t fully utilise the state’s share. But this AAP government will not share even a drop from its quota with Haryana. It’s for the first time that Punjab used maximum water, 91% of its share,” Mann said.
The two states have been at loggerheads over water-sharing since April 23 with the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government objecting to the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government’s request to the BBMB to release 8,500 cusecs of water, 4,500 cusecs more than its usual share, from the dam, citing a drinking water shortage in its western districts. Though the BBMB approved Haryana’s request after member states Rajasthan and Delhi voted in favour and Himachal Pradesh abstained, Punjab voted against the move and AAP workers laid siege to the Nangal dam gate to prevent the release of the surplus amount.
The BBMB, at a meeting on May 15, stipulated that Punjab would get 17,000 cusecs of water, Rajasthan 12,400 cusecs and Haryana 10,300 cusecs in the new cycle of water-sharing that started on Wednesday.
The chief minister said that Haryana was allocated 15.06 lakh cusecs of water during the last cycle, which ended on Tuesday. “Against the allocated share, Haryana used 16.48 lakh cusecs. Thereafter, it demanded more water, expecting it from Punjab’s quota. But we did not allow it,” Mann said.
“This is purely a political conflict with the Haryana government. We have no issue with the people. Haryana is like our younger brother. It was only (Union power minister and former CM) Manohar Lal Khattar who politicised the matter,” he said.
On Tuesday, he said that he would raise the issue of restructuring the BBMB during the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting.
