CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the removal of Punjab Police personnel from the Nangal Dam, asserting that their presence is unauthorized and obstructs board operations.
In its plea submitted on Monday, the BBMB contended that the Punjab government “illegally placed” its police force at the dam and the Lohand Control Room Water Regulation Office on May 1, following a dispute over water sharing with Haryana.
“This action is not only unconstitutional and illegal, but also infringes upon the BBMB’s statutory authority under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966,” the board stated.
According to the petition, a technical committee of the board had on April 23 decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana. However, the decision was not implemented until May 1, with only 4,000 cusecs being released in the interim. Punjab reportedly objected to any release beyond this, prompting the board on April 30 to advise Haryana to submit a revised indent, with a copy to Punjab. The proposal was not accepted.
The BBMB has argued that Punjab’s decision to station its police at the dam site, without following due process, directly interfered with the board’s functioning. “If Punjab had objections to the board’s decisions, it should have approached the Central Government as prescribed under BBMB rules,” the board stated. “Instead, it chose to act through force.”
Punjab, for its part, claims that Haryana has already drawn more than its fair share of water and that it is not in a position to spare more. The BBMB, however, said the matter goes beyond state-level disagreements.
“The question of equitable water distribution involves human rights and environmental concerns that affect partner states,” the petition read. “No state can impose its own decisions using police presence or force.”
The board further warned that allowing such conduct would set a dangerous precedent. “If such unilateral actions are permitted, it could lead to a breakdown in cooperative governance, with states enforcing their will through force rather than dialogue.”
The BBMB has requested the court to direct the immediate withdrawal of Punjab Police from the dam premises and to reaffirm the role of the Central Government in resolving inter-state disputes.
