A row between Punjab and Haryana over the release of water from the Bhakra dams continued, with both states convening high-level and all-party meetings to assert their positions amid an intensifying dispute.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Friday chaired a high-level meeting in the national capital to deliberate the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) decision to release an additional 4,500 cusecs of water from the Bhakra dams to Haryana for eight days to address the state’s urgent water needs. Senior officials from the Government of India, the BBMB, and partner states—Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan—attended the meeting.
According to an official release, it was advised that the BBMB’s decision to release extra water to Haryana should be implemented. It was also agreed that during the dam filling period, the BBMB would supply this additional water to Punjab to meet any extra requirements. The board will now convene a meeting to finalise modalities for the water release.
Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan are partner states that receive water from the Bhakra and Pong dams, with the BBMB setting annual quotas for the period from 21 May each year.
‘Robbery Of Punjab’s Rights Will Not Be Tolerated’: CM Mann Slams BBMB’s Decision
However, tensions escalated as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government refused to release additional water, citing overuse of its allocated share. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, addressing an all-party meeting in Punjab on Friday, asserted that the state had already utilised 103 per cent of its water quota, news agency PTI reported. He said, “As a humanitarian gesture, we have been releasing 4,000 cusecs of water daily to Haryana since 6 April.”
As per PTI, Mann strongly criticised the BBMB’s decision, stating, “Such robbery of Punjab’s rights will not be tolerated. The board has no right to dictate matters related to our state.” The meeting in Punjab saw political parties presenting a united front on the issue, with deliberations underway on seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention.
All-Party Meeting In Haryana On Saturday
In response, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini convened an all-party meeting in Chandigarh on Saturday to discuss the Punjab government’s move. Apart from the ruling BJP, parties including the Congress, INLD, JJP, AAP, BSP, and CPI(M) were invited.
Speaking to reporters in Panchkula, CM Saini criticised the AAP government for politicising the issue. “Punjab is the land of the Gurus, and we bow to them. But such dirty politics is not good for anyone,” he said, as quoted by PTI. He added, “As the head of Haryana, I assure that if the people of Punjab ever need drinking water, we will install tubewells, extract water from our ground, and provide it to them. I guarantee that no person in Punjab will remain thirsty.”
Saini also warned, “We have repeatedly said that water is a natural resource. If politics continues like this, the water will go to waste and flow into Pakistan, which has been shedding the blood of our innocent citizens.”
Haryana Minister Says State Govt May Move Supreme Court Over Water Dispute
Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Shruti Choudhry echoed similar concerns, warning that the state might move the Supreme Court if the issue is not resolved. “BBMB allocates water to the partner states and Punjab should not raise an objection,” she said.
She accused Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann government of politicising the issue. “We tried to not let the matter escalate, but Mann gave it a political colour,” said Choudhry, who is also the granddaughter of former Haryana CM Bansi Lal. “If this issue is not resolved, we will approach the Supreme Court. We have complete data on Haryana’s water receipts and all relevant facts will be presented.”
Choudhry rejected Mann’s claim that Haryana had utilised 103 per cent of its allocated share. “The Punjab Chief Minister’s claim is entirely false. Such misinformation appears to be politically driven,” she said, as per PTI.
She explained that Haryana, during the shutdown of the Bhakra canal system, had requested 4,000 cusecs to meet its drinking water needs and to ensure distribution to Delhi and Rajasthan, as no water was being received from the Western Yamuna Canal. However, Punjab released only 3,000 cusecs, which included Delhi’s share of 1,049 cusecs.
During a BBMB Technical Committee meeting on 23 April, it was agreed to allocate 8,500 cusecs to Haryana from 24 April to 1 May. However, Punjab allegedly did not issue the necessary demand letter, resulting in water shortages.
Choudhry further said Mann’s assertion that Haryana exhausted its quota in March 2025 is factually incorrect. “Punjab is selectively calculating figures based only on the deficit period. If full accounting for 2024 is considered, Punjab received 9.30 per cent more than its share, while Haryana received 0.198 per cent less,” she claimed. “Over the last 20 years, Punjab received 22.44 per cent more than its share, while Haryana received just 7.67 per cent more.”
