Amid water row with Punjab, Haryana set to move Supreme Court

According to Haryana, the water supply was never halted in 2022, 2023, or 2024. Every year in April, May, and June, 9,000 cusecs of water is supplied, with 500 cusecs allocated to Delhi, 800 cusecs to Rajasthan, 400 cusecs to Punjab, while Haryana fulfils its drinking water needs from the remaining share.

Choudhry questioned why Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had not raised this issue in previous years when drinking water was allocated to Haryana as per the allocations.

In a letter to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Mann said earlier this week that Punjab does not have a single drop of water to share with any other state. He also said Haryana has already utilised 103 per cent of its allocated share for this season, as he accused the BJP of exerting pressure on the Punjab government through BBMB to meet Haryana’s demand.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has said that while the usual release of water stands at 4,000 cusecs, it increases to 9,000 cusecs during the peak summer months of April, May, and June. According to the state government, over the past three weeks, Haryana received only 4,000 cusecs of water, out of which 1,000 cusecs were allocated to Delhi, and 400 cusecs to Punjab.

Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Choudhry also said that at one point in March, the water allocation was reduced to just 1,500 cusecs, prompting intervention by the Haryana government.

Meanwhile, in a meeting chaired by Haryana Public Health Engineering and Public Works Minister Ranbir Gangwa, officials reported that Hisar, Sirsa, Mahendragarh, Narnaul, and Fatehabad districts are experiencing severe drinking water shortages. Gangwa was informed that in these affected areas, rationing measures have been implemented. For instance, in regions that were already receiving water on alternate days, the duration of supply has been further reduced.

He directed officials to launch awareness campaigns through panchayats, encouraging people to use water judiciously. Until the crisis is resolved, he emphasised that water must be used strategically and efficiently.

Additionally, Gangwa directed that senior engineers, executive engineers, sub-divisional officers, and junior engineers must not leave their respective headquarters. He urged officers to ensure an uninterrupted water supply, and implement necessary precautionary measures to prevent disruptions. In areas facing shortages, water should be lifted from nearby canals to meet supply requirements, he added.

Gangwa highlighted that there are 11,567 tube wells in Haryana supplying drinking water to the public. Additionally, canal water is being lifted using tankers and stored in reservoirs to ensure an uninterrupted water supply.

Gangwa also stated that he would monitor the situation weekly virtually. He said Haryana Chief Minister Saini is actively monitoring the water reduction issue by Punjab and working toward a resolution.

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