HC Junks Punjab's May 14 Plea Over Release of Water to Haryana

Court had disposed of the petition on May 26 and the detailed order was released on June 7

- HT Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed a petition from the Punjab government seeking modification of the May 6 order that allowed the release of an additional 4,500 cusecs of water to Haryana by Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

The Punjab government had filed the petition on May 14 arguing that the direction was an outcome of concealment of material facts by the BBMB, Haryana and the Centre.

"This court disposed of the matter (on May 6) in the backdrop of emergent situation, which had arisen and any delay in resolving the dispute would have caused irreparable damage to millions of residents of different states, including Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi. With this urgency in mind, this court finally disposed of the matter (on May 6)," the bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sumeet Goel said, dismissing the plea from Punjab.

The petition was disposed of on May 26, and the order was released on June 7 evening.

The controversy erupted on April 28 when the Haryana government's demand for additional water from the Bhakra Dam was approved by the BBMB despite opposition from Punjab.