A simmering water row between Punjab and Haryana is causing a ripple effect in Delhi, where Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia has hit out at the BJP for taking away Punjab's water and betraying its farmers. The BJP-led Delhi government volleyed to the accusations, adding that the AAP is playing dirty politics over water, referring to the back and forth between the Punjab and Haryana governments over the release of Bhakra dam water.
The exchange concerns the Bhakra dam in Punjab, among the largest under the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan which was suspended after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Delhi's Water Minister Pravesh Verma said Punjab wants to create a water crisis in Delhi after the AAP was defeated in the National Capital's Assembly polls. "We are working day and night to provide clean water to every household in Delhi and now the Punjab government wants to take revenge on the people of Delhi. Stop these dirty politics or else you will be expelled from Punjab as well," he wrote in a post in Hindi.
Delhi receives around 270 million gallons of water from the Bhakra Nangal dam daily, the lack of which could likely affect around 50 lakh people. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has assured that her government will not let a water crisis impact Delhi.
The prospect of a water crisis is particularly worrisome for Delhi, with the India Meteorological Department predicting higher than normal heat wave days for most of northern India through the month of May.
What Has Happened So Far?
The row erupted after Punjab allegedly capped the Bhakra water supply to Haryana at 4,000 cusecs. BBMB's Technical Committee on April 23 decided to release Bhakra dam water to Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan. This started a water war as Mr Mann said Haryana had utilised its share of water in March and was now seeking additional water for April and May. He had said Punjab needs water for the upcoming paddy sowing season and there was not a single surplus drop to spare. He had said as a humanitarian gesture, the Punjab government generously allotted 4,000 cusecs of water daily to Haryana from April 6.
Worried by lower-than-usual levels of water in the Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams, Mr Mann had also accused the BJP of exerting pressure on the Punjab government through the BBMB to meet Haryana's demand.
Haryana made an appeal to neighbouring state to provide drinking water to them or the excess Bhakra reservoir water will flow to Pakistan. "It is necessary to empty the Bhakra Dam water reservoir before June so that rainwater can be stored during the monsoon. If there is no space left in the water reservoir, excess water will go to Pakistan via Hari-ke-Pattan, which is neither in the interest of Punjab nor the nation," Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said.
The BBMB regulates water distribution from Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams. Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are the partnering states that meet their requirement for different purposes, including irrigation, from Bhakra and Pong dams. The BBMB decides the annual quota of water supply to the three states for a cycle from May 21 to May 21 every year.
How Haryana, Punjab's Leaders Have Responded
In Punjab, the AAP will hold statewide protest against the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) decision to give 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana. The ruling party called it a "robbery of the state's rights" by the Centre.
Several AAP leaders chided the BJP for allegedly "arm-twisting" the BBMB to decide on releasing water to Haryana. Cabinet minister and Punjab AAP unit president Aman Arora said, "We are ready to make any sacrifice against the decision by the BJP and the Central government to twist BBMB's arm and force Haryana, to release an additional 8500 cusecs of water from Punjab's share. The BJP's 'gundagardi' (thuggery) will be met with a befitting response."
In Haryana, Indian National Lok Dal chief Abhay Singh Chautala threatened to block all routes from Punjab that pass through the state. He said that districts like Sirsa, Hisar, and Fatehabad, which are Bhakra-dependent, are facing water shortages.
Congress' Randeep Singh Surjewala said that there is a shortage of drinking water in various parts of Haryana, especially in Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Hisar, Rohtak. "Today, when the whole country is standing united against terrorism, this situation of conflict in Punjab and Haryana is against the interest of both the states as well as the nation," he said.
Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal A Bone Of Contention
The Sutlej Yamuna Link canal issue has been a bone of contention between the two states for the past several years. Its aims to effectively allocate water from the Ravi and Beas rivers when completed. Mr Mann had said earlier this year that the SYL canal will never become a reality and his government is duty-bound to safeguard the interests of the Punjab while reiterating that the state has no water to share with others. The statement came after Mr Saini said SYL remains critical for the state and alleged that the Punjab government has made no progress in the matter.
