A Hardening Stance Behind Punjab's Firm Resolution

When the Punjab government moved a resolution in the state assembly on Monday for the immediate repeal of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, the demand not only came more than three years after the legislation was enacted, but it also marked a shift in the state's position.

- Navneet Sharma

CHANDIGARH:

While several farmer unions in Punjab opposed the Act from the outset, arguing that it infringed upon the state's rights over water resources, the state government complied with and implemented the measures mandated by the legislation, despite having some reservations.

The state, however, has now hardened its stance to seek repeal of the Act after a row erupted with the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which regulates water distribution from Bhakra, Nangal, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams, over sharing of water from the Bhakra with Haryana, said people in the know of the matter.

The resolution, which said that the 2021 Act empowers the central government to directly control the rivers and dams of states and undermines the sovereign rights of states like Punjab over their water, was unanimously passed by all MLAs present in the state assembly, cutting across party lines.