The National Green Tribunal (NGT), on Monday, issued a notice to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and the Punjab government on a petition concerning repeated floods in Punjab and issues related to dam operations, data transparency and dam safety.
The application was filed by the Public Action Committee (PAC), whose members Jaskirat Singh and Kuldeep Singh Khaira said they had analysed dam inflow and outflow data following the 2023 floods and approached the Centre and the state government, seeking an investigation into the causes.
They alleged that after these representations, the BBMB stopped placing critical dam operation data, including inflows, outflows and reservoir levels, in the public domain from October 2023 onwards.
The PAC said such information had earlier been disclosed publicly and that Section 35(1)(e) of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, mandated dam authorities to make details of anticipated inflows, outflows, flood warnings and downstream impacts available in the public domain in the interest of safety.
The discontinuation of disclosure, the PAC said, deprived downstream administrations, farmers and the general public of timely information during periods of severe flooding, raising serious concerns over transparency and preparedness.
PAC members Kapil Arora and Dr Amandeep Singh Bains stated that despite India Meteorological Department forecasts of heavy rainfall from mid-August, reservoir levels continued to rise and water releases were carried out under high inflow conditions.
They also submitted that reservoir operation targets, including the practice of reaching around 1,680 feet by the end of August, appeared arbitrary and unscientific in the context of ageing infrastructure and changing climate patterns.
Following directions at the first hearing, the PAC filed affidavits disclosing sources of information and submitted documents indicating dam deflection at reservoir levels below traditionally targeted marks.
During Monday’s hearing, the tribunal proceeded to consider the matter and issued a notice to the respondents, moving the case to formal adjudication.
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