BBMB releases water to Haryana, Punjab CM advises judicious use
8,500 cusecs of water flowing to Haryana, say board officials; AAP workers holding a dharna at Nangal dam call off protest as new water-sharing cycle begins.
With the beginning of the new water-sharing cycle, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) released 100 cusecs of water per hour to Haryana from the Bhakra-Nangal Dam on Wednesday.
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.
According to BBMB officials, who didn’t wish to be named, 8,500 cusecs of water is being released to Haryana.
The officials added that Punjab is getting 3,000 cusecs, and the release will depend on the daily requirements of the partner states.
“For 10 days starting from May 21, BBMB has allocated 10,300 cusecs for Haryana, 12,400 for Rajasthan and 17,000 cusecs for Punjab. It is to be seen how much water will be released to three states,” the official said.
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, and Haryana should use its share judiciously as Punjab does not have even a drop of additional water to spare. Today, 100 cusecs of water per hour is being released to Haryana,” he told the AAP workers, who later called off their month-long protest.
“We successfully prevented BBMB officials from releasing extra water to Haryana during the previous waters sharing cycle. 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.
The BBMB approved Haryana’s request after member states Rajasthan and Delhi voted in favour while 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.
CM Mann 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.
“Despite being smaller in area, Haryana is getting more water than Punjab and, ironically, is demanding even more — at Punjab’s expense. How can we give water to Haryana when our fields are starving?” Mann said.
Will seek restructuring of BBMB: Mann
On Tuesday, Mann said that he would raise the issue of restructuring the BBMB during the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting.
“The state government will raise the issue of the reconstitution of the BBMB in the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting to be chaired by the Prime Minister, scheduled for Saturday. Since water levels have been fluctuating frequently, the water-sharing agreement must be reviewed every 25 years,’ Mann said, adding, “Punjab is a landlocked border state that has already overexploited its only available natural resources — water and fertile soil — to feed the nation.”
Mann further claimed that nearly 3,000 posts under Punjab’s quota in the BBMB have been deliberately left vacant to weaken our rightful claim over water resources.”
He asserted that steps would now be taken to ensure that these posts are filled at the earliest.
Highlighting the importance of canal irrigation, the CM said, “Today, nearly 60% of the state’s farmlands are irrigated through canals, which makes every drop of water extremely precious.”
There was no immediate reaction from Haryana.
Punjab water resource minister Barinder Goyal on Wednesday announced that the state has no dispute with Haryana over the release of water by the BBMB.
“Now that the reservoir filling season has started with the melting of snow in the catchment areas, at least 25,000 to 30,000 cusecs of water is flowing into the reservoir. The release of water to the partner states, particularly Haryana, will depend on the daily indent and carrying capacity of the canals,” Goyal said in a press conference.
On a demand raised by Haryana on May 15 for the release of 10,300 cusecs of water from May 21 onwards, Goyal said that Punjab would not allow surplus water to be released, and also the Bhakra Main Line (BML), which carries water to Haryana, has a carrying capacity of 11,700 cusecs.
“Due to the ongoing repairs and Punjab also getting some share of water from BML, the running capacity of the canal is much less. The releases are not to be given at once but are spread over a period of time depending on the real-time need,” Goyal said.
