Chandigarh, 8 August: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday permitted the State of Punjab to make Haryana a party in its ongoing petition challenging the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) for allegedly releasing excess water to Haryana beyond its legally agreed share.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry granted time to Punjab to file a formal application impleading Haryana. The matter has been listed for the next hearing on August 21.
At the outset of the hearing, Punjab Advocate-General Maninderjit Singh Bedi sought a short adjournment to implead Haryana, arguing that the “core issue” revolved around the State. “We are the aggrieved State,” a counsel representing Punjab told the court, emphasising the necessity of Haryana’s presence in the case.
The Bench observed that since Haryana could be impacted by the outcome, it must be included as a necessary party. Appearing for Punjab, Senior Advocate Gurminder Singh supported the arguments, while Additional Solicitor-General of India Satya Pal Jain and panel counsel Dheeraj Jain represented the Union of India.
Punjab’s Petition
Punjab has alleged “jurisdictional overreach” by the BBMB and challenged its decisions to release 8,500 cusecs of water daily to Haryana without legal authority or consent from Punjab. It accused the Board of violating water-sharing norms and bypassing proper channels.
“The BBMB has no authority to alter inter-state water shares, which is exclusively under the jurisdiction of a tribunal constituted under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956,” Punjab’s petition argued.
Punjab also raised serious objections to the functioning of the BBMB, stating:
- Board meetings on April 30 and May 3 were convened in violation of BBMB’s own rules, with no adherence to the required notice periods.
- The decision by the Union Home Secretary on May 2 to release water to Haryana was based on “one-sided inputs” from BBMB and lacked due process.
Punjab further contended that no indent was placed by the competent authority — the Executive Engineer, BML, Patiala — for the additional water, making the release illegal and in violation of operational protocols.
The petition seeks, among other things, the appointment of a neutral and impartial BBMB Chairman through a consultative process involving all partner States.
The High Court’s direction on Friday now paves the way for a full hearing of the dispute with both States present.
