Punjab, Haryana lock horns over Bhakra waters yet again

Punjab caps allocation of Bhakra water to Haryana at 4,000 cusecs as against 8,500 cusecs decided by BBMB technical committee

- Hitender Rao/Gurpreet Singh Nibber

CHANDIGARH: A fresh round of inter-state tensions over water has erupted between Punjab and Haryana, with Punjab capping the Bhakra water supply to Haryana at 4,000 cusecs.

A technical committee of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which comprises of chief engineers of all the partner states, had on April 23 decided that 8,500 cusecs of water be provided for seven days to Haryana. "Of the 8,500 cusecs, Haryana would have got 7,000 cusecs while 1,000 cusecs would have gone to Delhi and 500 cusecs to Rajasthan," said an official familiar with the development.

Haryana officials said the matter of reduction of water allocation was taken up during a meeting of the BBMB on April 28 where Punjab officials flatly refused to increase the water allocation to Haryana. The reduced water supply would affect Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad districts of Haryana.

Punjab principal secretary, water resources, Krishan Kumar during the board meeting objected to the supply of 8,500 cusecs of water from the BBMB system to Haryana on a plea that it has already consumed 3.091 million acre feet (MAF) more water than its legitimate share in the current cycle.