BBMB tells Punjab to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Hry

Officials from Rajasthan, Centre support Haryana's demand; Punjab officials walk out of meeting by giving dissent note

- Gurpreet Singh Nibber

CHANDIGARH: In a high-stakes meeting on Wednesday with partner states — Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) directed Punjab to immediately release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana — a decision made despite strong opposition from Punjab.

The BBMB, which regulates water distribution from the Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar Dams, insisted that the supply to Haryana was "unavoidable", triggering sharp resistance from Punjab's irrigation department. Punjab officials contended that the state lacks surplus water, citing peak summer demand and the ongoing kharif sowing season.

"Since November, we have been saying that Haryana has not conserved its share of water, but it failed to catch the attention of BBMB officials. However, the BBMB stuck to its stance, leading to Punjab officials walking out of the meeting by giving a dissent note. The meeting, which stretched for nearly five hours, saw heated exchanges. Officials from Rajasthan (BJP-ruled state), Centre and BBMB supported Haryana's demand, while Himachal abstained.

Punjab accused Haryana of having already used 104% of its allocated 2.987 MAF and blamed it for mismanaging its share. A formal announcement from BBMB on the decision is still awaited.