Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) will release water for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan today i.e. on 21st May. A senior official of Punjab’s Water Resources Department has confirmed this.
Haryana has been demanding 8,500 cusecs of water since 23rd April. The stand of 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. The implementation of its decision to release water was also forcibly stopped by the Punjab government.
BBMB 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 has filed an affidavit in the High Court and made serious allegations against Punjab. Citing Punjab’s continuous disregard of the orders of SYL canal construction, Haryana has termed it as ‘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 Irrigation Department ML Rana has filed a detailed 27-page affidavit in the High Court. In this affidavit, serious allegations have been made against Punjab and it has been said that it is also forcibly interfering in the statutory work of BBMB.
The High Court asked Punjab to present its side by 22nd
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday gave the Punjab government the last opportunity till Wednesday to present its side on the replies filed by the Central Government, Haryana and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The Punjab government has challenged the order of May 6 in the High Court, in which Haryana was ordered to give additional water to deal with the water crisis.
The Center, BBMB and Haryana Government have criticized the attitude of Punjab in their replies and have requested to dismiss Punjab’s petition with a fine. The 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.
Punjab government will celebrate ‘Fateh Diwas’ on the dam
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, which is adamant on not releasing water till May 21, will celebrate Fateh Diwas on Wednesday at Nangal Dam, in which Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also participate.
AAP workers, including Minister Harjot Bains, who have been sitting on a dharna at Nangal Dam for the last two weeks, said that Haryana has already used up its quota of water in the month of March. Now it is asking for additional water while Punjab has given them its share of 4,000 cusecs of water for drinking water supply.