Amid escalating tensions over the ongoing river water-sharing row with Punjab, the Haryana government, led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, convened an all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue.
Representatives from the Congress, BJP, INLD, JJP, and AAP participated in the meeting, marking a rare show of cross-party consensus in the state.
The meeting came just a day after the AAP-led Punjab government held a similar all-party gathering where even rival political outfits, including the BJP’s state unit, extended support to Punjab’s stance on the issue.
Haryana has accused Punjab of withholding its rightful share of water, particularly during peak summer months, when demand for drinking water surges. CM Saini said his state had only asked for the same quantity and ratio of water as before and alleged that the Punjab government was politicising a basic necessity.
“If anyone comes to our home, the first thing we do is to offer a glass of water before we talk. It is surprising that politics can be played to such an extent that there would be a question mark on drinking water,” Saini said.
In the meeting on Saturday, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, state Irrigation Minister Shruti Choudhry, Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Uday Bhan, JJP’s Dushyant Chautala, AAP’s Sushil Gupta and INLD’s Ram Pal Majra were present.
Earlier in the day, while attending an anti-drug event in Chandigarh alongside Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Saini criticised the Punjab government for cutting off water supply and called the act inhumane, especially as consumption rises sharply during April to June.
In response, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann reiterated that his state has already exceeded its allocated share, having used 103% of it. He asserted that Punjab had still provided Haryana with 4,000 cusecs of water daily since April 6 as a humanitarian gesture. However, Mann condemned the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) for unilaterally releasing extra water to Haryana, calling it a violation of Punjab’s rights.
The BBMB, which regulates water from the Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams, facilitates distribution among Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. With both states standing firm, the water-sharing dispute appears headed for further confrontation.
Haryana to move SC, seeks withdrawal of police from Bhakra Dam
Meanwhile, Haryana has declared its plan to move the Supreme Court over the ongoing water dispute. Additionally, a petition is being filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, demanding the withdrawal of police personnel from the Bhakra Dam area in Nangal, arguing that the deployment of state police at a national asset is inappropriate.
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