A fresh flashpoint has emerged between Punjab and Haryana over water sharing from the Bhakra canal, with the Punjab Government slashing Haryana’s water supply from 9,500 cusecs to 4,000 cusecs per day. The drastic reduction, announced ahead of the crucial paddy season, has triggered a major inter-state political storm, prompting Haryana to approach the Centre for intervention.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday categorically refused to release “even a single extra drop” of water, citing Haryana’s overutilization of its annual quota and Punjab’s acute water stress. He accused the BJP of using the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to pressure Punjab into surrendering its rightful share, warning that Punjab will not yield to “coercive politics” or “unlawful tactics”.

The issue reached a flashpoint during a high-level meeting of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) a day before, where Haryana formally demanded 8,500 cusecs of water from Punjab. Punjab categorically refused, reiterating that it cannot and will not provide more than 4,000 cusecs. This led to a letter from Haryana CM Saini to Punjab CM Mann, and eventually, Haryana’s approach to the Union Government.

Mann’s firm stance comes amid mounting tensions as Haryana grapples with an emerging water crisis. According to Mann, Haryana has already used 103 percent of its allocated quota for the May 2023 to May 2024 cycle — two months before the year ends — and is now demanding more. The Chief Minister asserted that Punjab, facing a significant drop in water levels in both the Ranjit Sagar and Pong Dams, cannot afford to divert water meant for its own farmers, especially with the water-intensive paddy cultivation season approaching. At present, Punjab continues to supply 4,000 cusecs of water to Haryana on humanitarian grounds to meet drinking water needs, but has ruled out any increase in supply.

In response, Haryana’s Irrigation Minister Shruti Choudhry met Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil in Delhi, flagging the severe impact of Punjab’s unilateral water reduction on five key districts — Hisar, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Rohtak, and Mahendragarh — where Bhakra canal water is a lifeline for both irrigation and drinking purposes.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini has also written to his Punjab counterpart, calling the move unfair and demanding restoration of water supply as per agreed terms. Haryana contended that Punjab must abide by the 1981 inter-state water agreement, which governs the distribution of Bhakra canal water among Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

Defending the decision to cut Haryana’s water share, Chief Minister Mann released a detailed 7.17-minute video explaining the rationale behind the decision. He asserted that Punjab does not have “a single drop of surplus water” to spare and that the BJP is attempting to sabotage Punjab’s interests through the BBMB. He said that previous Punjab Governments, under Parkash Singh Badal and Capt Amarinder Singh, “overlooked” water accounting and generously released excess water to Haryana. “Those days are over. We have fixed our canal system, we are keeping track of every drop now,” said Mann.

Referring to current dam levels, Mann pointed out that the Ranjit Sagar Dam is 39 feet below the previous year’s level, and Pong Dam is 24 feet lower. “How can we release more water when we don’t have enough for ourselves? The BJP should stop playing politics. Punjab is not going to bow down,” he said.

Mann also hit back at the Centre’s position by invoking the Indus Water Treaty, calling on the Union Government to divert water stopped from flowing into Pakistan through rivers like the Chenab, Jhelum, and Ujh. “If that water is made available to us, we will be happy to forward it to Haryana,” he said, turning the table on the Centre. He accused the BJP of double standards — refusing to cancel the treaty with Pakistan but demanding Punjab release more water to another state at its own cost.

The roots of the current standoff lie in the 1976 notification by the Centre, which allocated 3.5 million acre feet (MAF) of Punjab’s 7.2 MAF annual water to Haryana. A follow-up water-sharing agreement in 1981 aimed to formalize the arrangement, with the proposed Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal meant to facilitate the transfer. However, the SYL project remains incomplete due to strong opposition in Punjab, and Haryana has since relied on existing canal systems like the Bhakra Main Line.

Presently, Haryana receives approximately 1.8 MAF of water from Punjab annually through the Bhakra canal. With Punjab reducing this flow to less than half, the supply to several Haryana districts has been thrown into jeopardy, risking both crop failure and drinking water shortages.

Mann has reiterated that Punjab continues to supply 4,000 cusecs to Haryana purely on humanitarian grounds to meet essential drinking water needs, but no more. “We are not inhuman. But we have a responsibility towards our own people, our own farmers,” he said, adding, “If the Centre believes more water is required in Haryana, let them first store and release water that was meant for Pakistan into our dams.”

The Chief Minister emphasized that Punjab contributes 185 metric tonnes of paddy annually to the central food pool, and needs water security to continue doing so. “Most of our blocks are over-exploited, our rivers are drying, and the groundwater levels are critically low. We are barely managing our needs,” Mann said, making it clear that any pressure tactics from the Centre or Haryana would be resisted.

POLITICAL TEMPERS FLARE IN BOTH STATES

The longstanding water-sharing issue between Punjab and Haryana has once again ignited a political firestorm, with leaders across party lines in Haryana lashing out at the Punjab Government for allegedly halting canal water supply. Reacting strongly, Haryana politicians maintained that the water in question is Haryana’s rightful share, not a favour being sought, and accused Punjab of flouting constitutional norms.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has stood firm, asserting that Haryana has already exhausted its quota and that Punjab cannot spare even a single drop amid a looming agricultural season. The issue escalated after Mann declared that Haryana had consumed its allocated water quota in March and was now pressing for additional water, allegedly under pressure from the BJP through the BBMB.

Haryana leaders, however, expressed outrage. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda condemned the Punjab Government’s move as unconstitutional and accused the BJP-led Central Government of failing to defend Haryana’s interests. “This is Haryana’s rightful share, not charity,” he said, adding that the drastic reduction in canal water would severely affect irrigation in Hisar, Sirsa, Rohtak, and Mahendragarh districts.

Haryana’s Social Justice Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi termed Punjab’s decision "irresponsible", saying that the State Government is deploying tankers and motors in affected districts to prevent a drinking water crisis. INLD's Abhay Chautala called Punjab CM’s statements “false threats” and alleged that the BJP government in Haryana was not doing enough to resist this “conspiracy” against Haryana’s farmers.

Meanwhile, AAP’s Punjab leaders turned the spotlight on BJP, accusing the party of orchestrating a conspiracy to deprive Punjab of its water. AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang said that Haryana’s demands were unjustified and warned of political manipulation via BBMB. AAP spokesperson Neel Garg slammed Punjab BJP leaders for their silence, claiming the real agenda was to destabilize Punjab by stripping it of its essential resources.

Punjab-Haryana Water Dispute (SYL Canal)