Chandigarh [India], April 30 (ANI): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of politicizing the ongoing water-sharing issue, following Mann’s refusal to release more water to Haryana.
Speaking to the media, CM Saini emphasized that Haryana has not received its full quota of water and clarified that the matter is not directly related to the controversial Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, which remains under the Supreme Court’s purview.
“This issue is about drinking water, not the SYL. Haryana has only received about 60 percent of its share—4,000 cusecs of drinking water last week. If the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) provides the remaining portion as per Haryana’s demand, it would still only amount to 0.0001% of Bhakra Dam’s reservoir capacity,” said Saini.
He further criticized Mann’s actions, linking them to the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) electoral loss in Delhi. “When AAP was in power in Delhi, there was no issue with sending water there. Now, it seems like he’s punishing the people of Delhi after the party’s defeat,” Saini alleged.
Urging Mann to act in the national interest, CM Saini warned of the broader consequences of withholding water. “We need to empty the Bhakra Dam before June to accommodate monsoon rainwater. If the dam overflows, the excess water could end up flowing to Pakistan via Hari-ke-Pattan. This would harm both Punjab and India. I appeal to Mann to set aside narrow political interests and ensure the supply of drinking water to Haryana,” he said.
The Haryana CM also challenged Mann’s claims about dam water levels. “Mann spoke about low water levels in Pong and Ranjit Sagar Dams, but said nothing about Bhakra Dam, from which Haryana draws its drinking water. His claim that Punjab or BBMB never tracked water levels is false. All four states—Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan—work with BBMB to monitor water levels in real-time,” Saini asserted.
He added that Mann had earlier given verbal assurances of water release, but failed to follow through. “On April 26, I spoke to him and he promised to release water by evening. He even said he would call to congratulate me. But by April 27, Punjab officials stopped answering calls, and no action was taken until 2 PM. I had to write a letter, but for 48 hours Mann didn’t respond. Instead, he posted a video twisting facts and misleading the people of Haryana,” he claimed.
The water-sharing dispute between Punjab and Haryana remains a contentious political and legal issue, with high stakes for both states’ agricultural and drinking water needs.
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