Delhi’s drinking water supply will be impacted by the Punjab-Haryana water-sharing dispute, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini cautioned.
Manish Sisodia of the Aam Aadmi Party has criticized the BJP for stealing Punjab’s water and betraying its farmers in Delhi, where a simmering water dispute between Punjab and Haryana is having repercussions. Referring to the back and forth between the governments of Punjab and Haryana on the release of water from the Bhakra dam, the Delhi government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, responded to the charges by saying that the AAP is engaging in dirty politics over water.
The Bhakra dam in Punjab, one of the biggest under the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, which was halted following the terror assault in Pahalgam on April 22, is the subject of the exchange.
Following the AAP’s defeat in the National Capital’s Assembly elections, Delhi’s Water Minister Pravesh Verma claimed that Punjab intended to cause a water crisis in the city. “The Punjabi government now seeks retribution against the Delhi residents, despite our tireless efforts to supply clean water to every home in the city. He posted in Hindi, saying, “Stop these shady politics or else you will also be expelled from Punjab.”
The Bhakra Nangal dam provides Delhi with about 270 million gallons of water every day; if this were to stop, about 50 lakh people would probably be impacted. Delhi won’t be affected by a water crisis, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has promised.
With the India Meteorological Department forecasting more heat wave days than usual for the majority of northern India through May, the possibility of a water crisis is especially concerning for Delhi.
So far, what has transpired?
The dispute started when Punjab allegedly set a 4,000 cusec limit on Haryana’s Bhakra water supply. On April 23, the BBMB Technical Committee made the decision to release water from the Bhakra dam to Rajasthan, Delhi, and Haryana. This sparked a water war since, according to Mr. Mann, Haryana had used all its allotted amount of water in March and was now requesting more for April and May. He had stated that there was not a single drop of extra water to spare and that Punjab needed it for the impending paddy sowing season. According to him, the Punjab government graciously gave Haryana 4,000 cusecs of water each day starting on April 6 as a humanitarian gesture.
Concerned over lower-than-normal water levels in the Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams, Mr. Mann has also charged that the BJP was using the BBMB to coerce the Punjab government into granting Haryana’s request.
In order to prevent the surplus water from the Bhakra reservoir from flowing to Pakistan, Haryana urged the neighboring state to supply them with drinking water. “In order to conserve rainwater for the monsoon, the Bhakra Dam water reservoir must be drained by June. “Excess water will be sent to Pakistan via Hari-ke-Pattan if the water reservoir runs out of space, which is not good for Punjab or the country,” Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini stated.
Water delivery from the Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams is controlled by the BBMB. Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan are the partner states that use the Bhakra and Pong dams to suit their needs for irrigation and other uses. Every year between May 21 and May 21, the BBMB determines the annual quota of water supply to the three states.
How the Leaders of Punjab and Haryana Have Reacted
The AAP will dispute the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) decision to provide Haryana with 8,500 cusecs of water over the whole state of Punjab. It was referred to as a “robbery of the state’s rights” by the ruling party.
The BJP was reprimanded by a number of AAP leaders for reportedly “arm-twisting” the BBMB into deciding to release water to Haryana. Aman Arora, a cabinet minister and the president of the Punjab AAP chapter, stated: “We are prepared to make whatever sacrifice in opposition to the Central government’s and the BJP’s intention to coerce Haryana into releasing an extra 8500 cusecs of water from Punjab’s share. Reaction to the BJP’s ‘gundagardi’ (thuggery) will be appropriate.
Abhay Singh Chautala, the leader of the Indian National Lok Dal, threatened to stop all Punjabi routes that go through Haryana. He claimed that water shortages are a problem in districts that depend on Bhakra, such as Sirsa, Hisar, and Fatehabad.
According to Congressman Randeep Singh Surjewala, drinking water is in short supply throughout Haryana, particularly in Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Hisar, and 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 stated.
An Important Point of Contention for the Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal
For the past few years, the two states have been at odds over the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal problem. When finished, it will efficiently distribute water from the Ravi and Beas rivers. Earlier this year, Mr. Mann reiterated that the state has no water to share with others and that the SYL canal would never be built. He also stated that his government has a responsibility to protect Punjab’s interests. Following Mr. Saini’s assertion that SYL is still vital to the state and that the Punjab government has not advanced the issue, the statement was released.
