Chandigarh: Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) will release water for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan today (21st May). Haryana is demanding 8500 cusecs of water which Punjab is opposing. BBMB had filed a petition in the High Court. The Haryana government has accused Punjab of disobeying the orders of SYL canal construction.  A senior officer of Punjab’s Water Resources Department has confirmed this. Haryana has been demanding 8,500 cusecs of water since April 23. The stand of the Punjab government on this is that this demand is additional to the fixed quota. It also argued that Haryana has exhausted its quota in the month of March itself. However, BBMB did not agree with this argument. The Punjab government had forcibly stopped the implementation of its decision to release water.
On this, BBMB had filed a petition in the High Court. Now, in the ongoing dispute over the operation and water distribution of Bhakra Beas Management Board. The Haryana government filed an affidavit in the High Court and made serious allegations against Punjab. Citing Punjab’s continuous disregard of the orders for construction of SYL canal, Haryana has called it ‘neglect of legal process’. Haryana government said that this is not just an issue of non-distribution of water, but a violation of the administrative system and the rule of law. On behalf of the state government, Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Department ML Rana had filed a detailed 27-page affidavit in the High Court, in which serious allegations were made against Punjab and it saying that it is forcibly interfering in the statutory functions of BBMB.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday gave the Punjab government a last chance till Wednesday to present its stand on the replies filed by the Central Government, Haryana and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The Punjab government has challenged the May 6 order in the High Court, in which it was ordered to give additional water to Haryana to deal with the water crisis. The Centre, BBMB and Haryana government have criticised Punjab’s attitude in their replies and have requested to dismiss Punjab’s petition imposing a fine. A division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumit Goyal has given a day’s time to obey orders. The case will now be heard on May 22. Information reveals, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is adamant on not releasing water till May 21, will celebrate ‘Fateh Diwas’ at Nangal Dam on Wednesday in which Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also participate. AAP workers including the minister Harjot Bains, who have been protesting at Nangal dam for the last two weeks, said that Haryana has already used up its quota of water in the month of March., and now is asking for additional water while Punjab has already given them its share of 4,000 cusecs of water for drinking water supply.
Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) will release water for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan on 21st May. Haryana is demanding 8500 cusecs of water which was opposed by the Punjab government. BBMB had filed a petition in the High Court. Haryana government has accused Punjab of disobeying the orders of SYL canal construction of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), and will release water for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan today i.e. on 21st May, a senior officer of Punjab’s Water Resources Department has confirmed this. According to information, the Haryana government has been demanding 8,500 cusecs of water since April 23. Whereas, the stand of the Punjab government on this is that this demand is additional to the fixed quota. It is also argued that Haryana has exhausted its quota in the month of March itself. However, BBMB does not agree with this argument, blaming that the Punjab government had forcibly stopped the implementation of its decision to release water, and had filed a petition in the High Court.
On this, BBMB had filed a petition in the High Court. Now, in the ongoing dispute over the operation and water distribution of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the Haryana government filed an affidavit in the High Court and made serious allegations against Punjab. Citing Punjab’s continuous disregard of the orders for construction of SYL canal, the Haryana government called it ‘neglect of legal process’. Haryana said that this is not just an issue of non-distribution of water, but a violation of the administrative system and the rule of law. On behalf of the state government, Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Department ML Rana had filed a 27-page affidavit in the High Court, in which serious allegations have been made against Punjab government blaming that it is forcibly interfering in the statutory functions of BBMB. Now, on Tuesday the High Court has asked Punjab to present its stand by April 21st giving the Punjab government a last chance till Wednesday to present its stand on the replies filed by the Central Government, Haryana and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The Punjab government has challenged the May 6 order in the High Court, in which it was ordered to give additional water to Haryana to deal with the water crisis.
The Centre, BBMB and Haryana government have criticised Punjab’s attitude in their replies and have requested to dismiss Punjab’s petition with a fine. A division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumit Goyal has given a day’s time. The case will now be heard on May 22. Whereas, Punjab government claims to have already given Haryana  its share of 4,000 cusecs of water.