Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], May 5 : The Punjab Legislative Assembly convened a special session on Monday to address the contentious issue of water sharing with Haryana, following the Bhakra Beas Management Board's (BBMB) decision to release an additional 8,500 cusecs of water to the neighbouring state.
The session, called by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, aims to pass a resolution safeguarding Punjab's water rights amid unified opposition from all political parties in the state.
Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, "Water is a huge necessity for Punjab...We have given more than their share of water to Haryana...Both the Haryana and Central governments want to loot water from Punjab. Our AAP govt will never let this happen. We are not doing politics..."
Speaking on the matter, the Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa reiterated a firm pro-Punjab stance, stating, "Congress has always been pro-Punjab and with the people of Punjab. Under any circumstances, Punjab waters will not be given to anyone else. We want the state government to take such a stand to secure our future."
Punjab Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said, "The point is not how much water is in the dam but how much each state shares. Water is allocated based on the decision of the BBMB. We will work as per the law to protect our rights."
Meanwhile, MLA Sandeep Jakhar also highlighted additional concerns about water quality within Punjab, noting, "All parties have agreed that Punjab does not have much water, but there is also an issue that the people who are getting water in Punjab are not getting clean water. People of my tehsil have to manage with dirty water. I will also raise this issue in the assembly today."
Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for its delayed response, pointing to the Dam Safety Act, 2021, which centralises the rights and control of the dams in any state.
"We believe this is a very belated action of the Aam Aadmi Party because when the Dam Safety Act was passed in 2021 in the Lok Sabha, Bhagwant Mann was a parliamentarian at the time, but he did not say anything. This 2021 act has centralised all our rights and control... Let us see what resolution they bring," Khaira said.
The special session follows an all-party meeting on May 2 under Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann amid escalating concerns over the state's water rights. During the meeting, all the parties showed solidarity against the Bhakra Beas Management Board's (BBMB) decision to release an additional 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana and noted that the Punjabis had the right to every drop of Punjab water and no one would be allowed to take it away.
"Today in Chandigarh, a meeting was held with the senior leaders of all the parties of Punjab regarding the water of Punjab. During the meeting, all the leaders showed solidarity against the atrocities being committed by the central government through BBMB and promised to work together. Punjabis have rights to every drop of Punjab water and no one will be allowed to take it away. A special session of the Assembly has also been called on Monday on this issue of water, in which important decisions will be taken after detailed discussion," Punjab CM Mann stated on X.
Earlier on April 30, the BBMB ordered an additional 8,500 cusecs of water to be released to Haryana from the Bhakra-Nangal Dam. However, the Punjab government rejected the BBMB's decisions, raising concerns over decreasing water levels in key reservoirs.