Chandigarh, May 1 — The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has approved the immediate release of 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana from the Bhakra Dam, overriding objections from the Punjab Government.
The decision was reached late Wednesday evening during a marathon meeting of the BBMB’s technical committee, chaired by BBMB Chairman Manoj Tripathi.
Haryana’s demand was backed by the BJP-led partner states in the board—Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi—while Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh remained neutral.
The Haryana delegation was led by Anurag Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Department.
Sources within BBMB indicated that the water is being released on “humanitarian grounds”, primarily to address drinking water shortages in Hisar, Sirsa, and Fatehabad districts.
However, the move has triggered concern and resistance from Punjab, which argued that none of its reservoirs—Bhakra, Pong, or Ranjit Sagar Dams—currently hold surplus water.
According to Punjab officials, the Pong Dam is 31.87% below its level from the same period last year, while Ranjit Sagar Dam is down 16.90%, and Bhakra is over 10% lower.
“Releasing this much water now will bring down Bhakra’s level by 15 feet before the monsoon even begins,” a senior Punjab official warned during the meeting.
With ongoing maintenance at the Pong Dam, officials said Punjab would be forced to draw heavily from Bhakra or resort to increased groundwater extraction to meet irrigation demands for the paddy season.
Principal Secretary Krishan Kumar, who led Punjab’s delegation, further objected on procedural grounds. He argued that, according to the Bhakra Dam Regulation Manual, Punjab was required to place a formal indent before any such water release.
However, BBMB decided to waive this provision as a “special exception.”
Earlier in the day, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched a sharp political attack, accusing the BJP of manipulating BBMB decisions to favor Haryana.
In a letter addressed to Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, Mann said he had not received any formal communication and only learned of Saini’s demand for 8,500 cusecs through media reports.
“Let me make it clear—Punjab has no surplus water to spare,” Mann wrote. “In fact, Haryana has already received more than its due share for the depletion period ending May 20.”
Citing BBMB’s own data, Mann noted that water distribution this year had already provided 3.318 MAF to Rajasthan, 2.987 MAF to Haryana, and 5.512 MAF to Punjab.
He said that Haryana had exhausted its share by March 31, and accused the state of poor water management.
Despite Punjab’s resistance, the release will proceed as planned, further straining water relations in a region already grappling with climate stress, agricultural demands, and political friction.
