Water dispute: Punjab political parties close ranks against Haryana

A bitter and escalating dispute over water-sharing from the Bhakra dam has sparked a political storm between Punjab and Haryana, with Punjab's political establishment closing ranks to firmly reject Haryana’s demand for additional water.

The controversy intensified after the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) ordered the release of 8,500 cusecs of extra water to Haryana, prompting protests, a controversial officer transfer, and a sharp deterioration in inter-state relations.

The flashpoint came on 23 April when Haryana, citing an acute drinking-water shortage in districts like Hisar, Sirsa, and Fatehabad, requested the additional water, over and above the 4,000 cusecs it currently receives. Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini argued that the water was essential for domestic needs and warned that any delay in release could result in water flowing into Pakistan via Harike-Pattan during the monsoon. He also claimed Haryana’s share had been diverted to Delhi, Rajasthan, and even Punjab.

Punjab, however, pushed back strongly. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann asserted that Haryana had already used 103 per cent of its allocated share for the current season (22 September 2024–20 May 2025). Citing dangerously low levels in Punjab's key reservoirs — Bhakra dam at 1,557.10 feet (well below the full capacity of 1,680 feet), Pong dam 31.87 feet lower than last year, and Ranjit Sagar dam 16.90 feet below last year’s level — Mann declared Punjab was facing a severe water crisis. “We don’t have a drop to spare,” he said, accusing the BJP-led Centre of arm-twisting Punjab through the BBMB.

Tensions deepened on 1 May when the BBMB transferred Punjab cadre officer Akashdeep, director of water regulation at BBMB Nangal, and replaced him with Haryana cadre officer Sanjeev Kumar. The move, seen by Punjab officials as a deliberate attempt to favour Haryana’s interests, led to heightened security around Nangal dam to prevent any unauthorised water release.

In a rare show of unity, all major political parties in Punjab convened for an all-party meeting on 2 May chaired by chief minister Mann. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) unanimously resolved to oppose any additional water release.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring declared, “Haryana has received its due; Punjabis won’t allow further looting of our resources.” The AAP launched statewide protests targeting BJP offices, while SAD accused BJP-ruled states — Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan — of attempting to “rob Punjab’s legitimate share”.

Meanwhile, both states remain gripped by a growing water crisis. Punjab’s over-exploited groundwater has rendered many districts 'dark zones', while low reservoir levels threaten irrigation and drinking water supplies. In Haryana, the situation is no less dire, with widespread disruptions to daily life. Congress MP Randeep Surjewala called it “the biggest water crisis since 1966”, blaming both the Centre and Punjab’s AAP government.

The Centre convened a multi-state meeting in Delhi today, 2 May — including officials from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh — in an attempt to mediate. But with Punjab refusing to budge and Haryana’s demand intensifying, a resolution appears distant.

The crisis, deeply rooted in the unresolved issues of the 1966 Punjab reorganisation and the long-delayed Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal, is not merely political — it reflects deeper environmental distress. Experts warn that groundwater depletion, canal misuse, and changing rainfall patterns have made existing water-sharing agreements untenable.

As the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (assembly) prepares for a special session on 5 May, observers say what’s urgently needed is not political brinkmanship, but informed dialogue, transparent data-sharing, and possibly neutral third-party mediation. Without cooperative action, the impasse could lead to broader instability — something India can ill afford amid mounting internal and regional challenges.