Water sharing: Home Secy-led meet advises extra 4,500 cusecs to Haryana for 8 days

Meanwhile, the meting summoned by Union Home Secretary in Delhi, asked the BBMB to immediately convene another meeting of the partner states to work out the modalities for releasing extra water to to Haryana for eight days to meet the urgent needs of the state and some parts of Rajasthan. The BBMB has called the meeting at 5pm on Saturday.

“The matter was discussed/deliberated and it was advised to carry out the decision of the BBMB to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water from the Bhakra dam to Haryana for the next eight days to meet their urgent water requirements. It was also agreed that during the filling period of the dams, the BBMB will provide this excess water to Punjab to fulfil their any additional requirements,” as per an official statement issued after the meeting.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Government of India, the partner states — Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana — and representatives from the BBMB.

From Punjab, the meeting was attended by Water Resources Secretary Krishan Kumar and Home Secretary Alok Shekhar who, sources said, emphasised that the state cannot share more water.

A Punjab official, privy to the developments, said, “We will see what solution is worked out in tomorrow‵s meeting. We need more water ahead of paddy transplantation. There also is an immediate requirement for cotton sowing. In the Delhi meeting, our officials raised the issue of low water levels in the dams due to scanty snowfall this season‶.

The BBMB decides the annual quota of water supply to the partner states for a yearly cycle beginning May 21 each year.

A fresh row erupted after BBMB, in a meeting on Wednesday, decided to release 8,500 cusec water to Haryana everyday instead of 4,000 cusec flowing currently. The decision was taken despite Punjab submitting a dissent note. The next day, protests broke out in Punjab and Cabinet Minister Harjot Bains locked a room at the Nangal dam from where water flow downstream is regulated.

In Haryana, meanwhile, political parties have alleged that Punjab has capped the Bhakra water supply to state at 4,000 cusec, even as the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue continues to remain a bone of contention between the two states for the past several years.

In the Delhi meeting, Punjab officials informed the Union Home Secretary that Haryana had exhausted its quota in March itself and was being given 4,000 cusec water everyday on humanitarian ground for drinking purposes even though the state‵s requirement is only 1,700 cusec.

They also said that for the last two years Punjab has been telling Haryana that it is taking more water than its quota and it should use water judiciously. They also said that it was made clear to Haryana that they would have a shortage of water in May and June and Haryana should be prepared.

Meanwhile, amid escalating tensions the Punjab government has convened a special Vidhan Sabha session on Monday on the issue.