FARIDKOT, May 4: Members of the Kirti Kisan Union on Saturday submitted a public memorandum to Faridkot MLA Gurditt Sekhon, registering strong opposition to the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) recent decision to release additional water to Haryana.
The farmers also demanded that the Punjab Assembly reject the Dam Safety Act during its special session scheduled for May 5.
Union leaders Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala, Rajinder Kingra, Gurjeet Brar, Nishan Bhullar, and Amarjit Pannu accused successive Central governments of discriminating against Punjab in the sharing of river waters.
They said the BBMB’s decision ignored the riparian principle, which gives priority rights to the state through which a river flows.
“The Centre has always ignored Punjab’s rights. The Dam Safety Act is just another tool to centralise power and strip states of their say in managing crucial water infrastructure,” said Rajinder Singh.
The farmers blamed the AAP-led Punjab government for its “soft stance” on the issue and claimed that the state’s silence had weakened its position.
The memorandum also urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to shift the political struggle over water rights from Nangal to Delhi, arguing that the root of the issue lies in the Centre’s handling of inter-state river water disputes.
They reiterated opposition to the proposed Sharda-Yamuna Link Canal, which they said would further deprive Punjab of its share.
Calling attention to Punjab’s worsening water crisis, the union demanded that canal water be ensured for every farm and clean drinking water for every household.
“The Assembly’s stand on May 5 will show whether our political leaders are truly serious or just putting on a show,” said union leader Nishan Bhullar.
The farmers called on all MLAs to strongly oppose both the BBMB water allocation to Haryana and the Dam Safety Act, warning that failure to act decisively would deepen the state’s water insecurity and erode its federal rights.
The BBMB decision and the 2021 Dam Safety Act have reignited long-standing tensions between Punjab and the Centre over control of river water and dam infrastructure, a fault line that continues to shape state politics and farmer resistance.
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