Punjab CM Mann to visit Nangal dam as BBMB’s new water sharing cycle starts
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 said it would release from Bhakra on May 21
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”.
