Water sharing row Punjab dubs Haryana's 10 300 cusecs demand 'unfeasible'

Chandigarh, May 15 (PTI) Amid a row over sharing water with Haryana, the Punjab government on Thursday questioned its neighbour's "unfeasible" fresh demand for 10,300 cusecs of water from May 21 given the Bhakra Main Line canal's carrying capacity and the border state's own requirements.
    Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal accused Haryana of being unwilling to reach at a reasonable solution by escalating the demand for water. "We will not allow the robbing of our rights."
    He said the BJP-ruled state's "tactics appear designed to create an impossible situation rather than work toward practical solutions".
    The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) held a technical committee meeting on Thursday to decide on the sharing of water from May 21.
    Headed by the board's Chairman Manoj Tripathi, the meeting was attended by Punjab Water Resources Secretary Krishan Kumar and chief engineer Sher Singh. Chief engineers from Haryana and Rajasthan attended the meeting while Central government representatives participated in it virtually.
    Punjab and Haryana are at loggerheads over the distribution of water with the AAP government in the border state refusing to share water from the Bhakra Dam, saying the neighbouring state has already utilised its share of water.
    Addressing reporters after the meeting, Goyal said Haryana has reiterated its earlier demand for 8,500 cusecs of water, "which our technical team clearly explained was impossible to provide". Punjab is already supplying 4,000 cusecs since April 4 on humanitarian grounds, he said.
    Haryana has now made a fresh demand of 10,300 cusecs of water from May 21, Goyal said, adding that it was "unfeasible" as the BML canal has a capacity of carrying 11,700 cusecs of water.
    "Punjab needs 3,000 cusecs to meet its needs," Goyal said.
    Haryana's demand of 10,300 cusecs would effectively leave Punjab with almost no water and exceeds what the infrastructure can safely handle, especially at a time the repairs of BML are ongoing, said the Punjab minister.
    "The BBMB chairman acknowledged the discrepancy and committed to examining the matter further."
    "By making these technically impossible demands, Haryana is deliberately creating complications in the water-sharing arrangement," Goyal said, adding that Punjab has consistently adhered to all BBMB rules and regulations while Haryana continues to "shift its position."
    A row had erupted between Punjab and Haryana last month over the water sharing issue, with AAP-ruled Punjab refusing to release more water to BJP-ruled Haryana. Punjab stated that Haryana had already utilized its allocated share of water by March.
    However, Haryana demanded that the AAP dispensation allow the release of water from the Bhakra Dam unconditionally. Both the states had called an all-party meeting to back their stands over the water issue.
    Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on May 2 chaired a high-level meeting, which advised Punjab to implement the BBMB's decision to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water from the Bhakra Dam to Haryana for the next eight days to meet the state's urgent water requirements.
    Later, the AAP government convened a special assembly session that unanimously passed a resolution, stating that not even a single drop of water will be given from the state's share to Haryana.
    The matter has even reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court after the BBMB, in its plea, strongly objected to the deployment of Punjab Police at the Nangal dam. The high court on May 6 directed Punjab to abide by the decision of the meeting held on May 2 under the chairmanship of the Union Home Secretary.
    Punjab later filed an application, seeking a review or modification of the HC's order. On Wednesday, the high court sought a response from the Centre, Haryana and the BBMB on Punjab's plea.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)