Explainer: Punjab-Haryana water row & what’s behind it

The Haryana Government stirred the hornet’s nest earlier this week, demanding a total of 8,500 cusecs of water from the Bhakra Dam, claiming it had no water even for domestic use.

Punjab has categorically declined their request, saying it has no water to spare.

As the stand-off between the two states continues, the Bhakra Beas Management Board approached the Union Ministry of Power, informing them that Punjab has refused to release additional water to Haryana.

The Punjab Government claims that Haryana has already utilised its allocated share of water for September 21, 2024 — May 20, 2025 depletion period.

The state claims it has no water to spare as two of the three key dams — Pong and Ranjit Sagar — have very little water, much below the average water level.

This is as much because of the climate change (deficient monsoon last year and very little snowfall in upper reaches of Himachal) impacting water inflow into the dams, as because of the Pong being emptied now for annual maintenance of turbines.

Only the Bhakra Dam has 19 feet more water than its average level of 1,537 feet. But Punjab says it needs this water to irrigate its paddy fields till the monsoon arrives at the end of June.

Haryana seeks addl 4,500 cusecs

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini wrote to his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann on April 27, claiming that the Punjab Government was not honouring the decision taken by the BBMB on April 23, allowing additional 4,500 cusecs to Haryana. This demand was made over and above the 4,000 cusecs given to them on April 4 after they had already drawn their allocated share.

The Punjab Government opposed the additional allocation of water to Haryana in a BBMB meeting on April 28.

Mann released a video saying that Haryana had already utilised 103 per cent of its allocated water share — 3.110 MAF against its allocated share of 2.987 MAF.

Punjab also claims that in the BBMB meeting of April 4, Haryana had agreed to receive 4,000 cusecs and is now demanding more water.

Haryana CM Saini has also warned that if timely release of water was not made from dams now, the BBMB would have to release excess water in eastern rivers during monsoons, thus paving way for more water flow towards Pakistan, which should not happen after the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. He claimed that the reduced water supply to Haryana would affect Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad districts.

How river water is shared

According to the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the waters of Satluj, Ravi and Beas were allocated to India for its exclusive use.

After the re-organisation of Punjab in 1966, the Bhakra Management Board (BMB) was constituted. The administration and maintenance of the Bhakra-Nangal project was handed over to it in 1967.

Later, when Beas project works were completed, the Beas Construction Board was handed over to the BMB, following which it was renamed as the BBMB in 1976.

The board ensures the supply of water to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh.

Each year, the water allocation to the states is decided twice — in the depletion period (between September 21- May 20) and in the filling period (May 21- September 20).

Why Punjab is unwilling to help

Other than the politics over the sharing of river waters, the state is itself grappling with fast depleting groundwater. To check this, the Punjab Government is stressing on use of canal water.

A whopping Rs 4,000 crore has been spent by the state on reviving 79 abandoned canals and 1,600 km of water channels (“khal”) that had either been filled or remained closed, as farmers relied more on pumping groundwater through tubewells rather than using canal water.

These have been restored in Fazilka, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Malerkotla, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur.

As a result, Punjab’s own utilisation of canal water has increased by 12-13 per cent in the depletion period.

“If we release more water to Haryana, there will be no water for paddy in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Tarn Taran and Amritsar after June 10, which is the peak paddy transplantation period,” said a senior officer of the Punjab Water Resources Department.

The way forward

The two states will have to arrive at an agreement through discussions. In case they fail to do so, the Union Power Ministry can issue directions, which could force the states to explore legal remedies.

Punjab