Can’t spare even a drop of water for Haryana, says Punjab Assembly 

Chandigarh, May 5 (IANS) Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Monday said the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has become merely a puppet of the Union government, and it should be restructured to safeguard the rights of the state. 

Presenting the resolution in the Legislative Assembly, which was later adopted unanimously, Goyal declared that the Punjab government cannot share even a single drop of water from its share for Haryana.

“The 4,000 cusecs of water currently being provided to Haryana for drinking purposes on humanitarian grounds will continue. Beyond this, not a single drop of water will be given,” he said.

Goyal condemned the illegally and unconstitutionally convened meeting of the BBMB called by the BJP. Demanding restructuring of the BBMB, he said the current BBMB has become merely a puppet of the Union government. “In meetings, neither Punjab's voice is heard nor are Punjab's rights considered; therefore, the BBMB should be restructured,” he said.

He said the law specifies how many days' notice must be given for calling different types of BBMB meetings, but the BBMB does not comply with the law and illegally calls meetings at night. The House directs the BBMB to comply with the law in this regard.

He questioned the Union government that the Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas rivers flow only through Punjab. “On what basis, then, is the water from these rivers given to other states? When the treaty for the distribution of these rivers' water among states was signed in 1981, the volume of water recorded in the rivers and distributed was much greater than what exists today. Therefore, a new treaty should be constituted for the distribution of these rivers' water,” he stressed.

He stated that the 1981 treaty specifies how much water should be given to each state.

“The BBMB has no right to change this. If the BBMB decides at a meeting to give one state's rightful water to another state, such a decision would be illegal and unconstitutional. The BBMB should refrain from making such illegal decisions,” he said.

Goyal added, “For the past few days, the BJP through the Union government, the Haryana government and the BBMB has been attempting to usurp Punjab’s rights. By convening meetings through unconstitutional and illegal means, attempts are being made to divert Punjab's share of water to Haryana. Haryana has already used all of its water share as of March 31. Now the BJP wants Punjab's rightful water to be given to Haryana.”

He was categorically clear in saying that in the past three years, the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government has endeavoured to deliver water to every field in Punjab.

“Extensive construction of canals and water courses has been undertaken. Until 2021, only 22 per cent of Punjab's area was irrigated through canal water, but today, canal water has reached 60 per cent of the state’s area,” he said.

“Every drop of Punjab's water is precious for Punjab. Punjab will no longer give its share of water to any other state,” he said.

He mentioned that on April 6, Haryana requested Punjab for drinking water. Punjab, showing magnanimity, provided 4,000 cusecs of water from its share to Haryana because “our Gurus have taught us that providing water to the thirsty is a great virtue”.

The Water Resources Minister said Haryana has a population of 3 crore, and to fulfil the drinking and other personal needs of 3 crore people, 1,700 cusecs of water is required.

“However, Haryana asked for 4,000 cusecs of water from Punjab, which we provided on humanitarian grounds. Now, Haryana claims it needs 8,500 cusecs. Punjab does not have surplus water to meet this demand, but the BJP forcibly convened an unconstitutional and illegal BBMB meeting and passed a resolution that Punjab will provide water to Haryana from its share, which is unacceptable to us.”

He outright rejected the Dam Safety Act of 2021 and demanded that the Union government immediately repeal the Act. Denouncing the Dam Safety Act as an attack on Punjab's rights, he stated that this law gives complete authority to the Union government to directly control rivers and dams in states, even when these dams are entirely within state boundaries.

“This fundamentally contradicts India's constitutional framework and constitutes a direct assault on Punjab's constitutional rights over water,” he added.