Bhakra water dispute Centre intervenes, calls chief secys of 4 partner states for meeting today

The central government on Thursday sought to make an active intervention to resolve the interstate dispute between Punjab and Haryana regarding allocation of Bhakra waters to Haryana.

Union Home secretary Govind Mohan has convened a meeting of chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, the four partner states of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), on May 2 at New Delhi to work out a solution.

Officials said that meeting by the Union Home secretary has been convened following Punjab’s refusal to abide by the decision of a special board meeting of the BBMB on Wednesday where it was reiterated by a majority vote that 8,500 cusecs of water will be provided to Haryana. Punjab, which has put a cap on the allocation of Bhakra water supplied to Haryana at 4,000 cusecs submitted a dissenting note on the board’s decision, refusing to comply. While Rajasthan and representatives of the central government lent support to Haryana’s demand of 8,500 cusecs in the special board meeting, Himachal Pradesh abstained.

A technical committee of 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. “Out 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.

Punjab chief minister, Bhagwant Mann has categorically refused to accede to Haryana’s demand saying that the neighbouring state has exhausted its quota for current cycle and Punjab does not have excess water to part with. His Haryana counterpart, Nayab Saini has dismissed Mann’s claims stating that Haryana has not yet received its full share. If BBMB were to provide the remaining water as per Haryana’s demand, it would amount to just 0.0001% of the water stored in Bhakra Dam, a figure so small it would have no impact on reserves, Saini said.

Officials said that central agencies have informed the Union Home Ministry that Punjab government has deployed a posse of cops at the BBMB Bhakra headworks and Lohand Khud escape channel.

“The regulator gates at Bhakra headworks from where the water flow has to be increased for Haryana and Lohand Khud escape channel are now under the control of Punjab police. If the police do not allow the regulator gates at Bhakra headworks to be operated and allow water to flow through Lohand Khud escape channel to Harike, the allocation of 8,500 cusecs to Haryana cannot be achieved,” explained an official.