BBMB row: Why BJP MLA objected to Punjab’s resolution over giving extra water to Haryana

The Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s special session on the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) row on Monday opened with obituary references to the Pahalgam terror victims.

After paying tributes, Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal read a resolution adopted by Punjab over not giving extra water to Haryana. However, BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma objected to the naming of the party in the resolution.

Below is the full text of the Resolution 

For the past few days, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been trying to take away the rights of Punjab through its Haryana government, Central Government and BBMB. By calling a meeting of BBMB in an unconstitutional and illegal manner, an attempt is being made to forcibly provide Punjab’s rightful water to Haryana. Haryana has used all its share of water till March 31. Now the BJP wants to give the water of Punjab to Haryana.

During the last three years, the Bhagwant Mann government has tried to bring canal water to every farm in Punjab. A network of canals and water courses has been built on a very large scale. Until 2021, only 22% of Punjab’s fields received canal water. But today around 60% of the fields in Punjab are getting canal water. This is why every single drop of Punjab’s water has become very precious for Punjab. Punjab no longer has any spare water to give to any other state. Haryana requested Punjab on April 6 that they need water for drinking purposes. Punjab showed a big heart and gave 4,000 cusecs of water to Haryana because our gurus have taught us that giving water to any thirsty person is a great virtue. The population of Haryana is 3 crore and it needs only 1,700 cusecs of water to meet all drinking and other needs. Now Haryana is saying that they need 8,500 cusecs of water all of a sudden. Punjab does not have extra water to meet their demand. So the BJP forcibly called a meeting of the BBMB in an unconstitutional and illegal manner and passed a resolution that Punjab will have to give its water to Haryana from its own share.

This is not acceptable to us.

So this House today resolves unanimously that:

1. Government of Punjab will not give even a single drop of water from its share to Haryana. The 4,000 cusecs of water that is being given to Haryana for drinking purpose will be continued as a matter of humanity- but not even a drop more will be given.

2. This House strongly condemns the illegal and unconstitutional convening of the BBMB meeting by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

3. At present, the BBMB has become a mere puppet of the BJP government at the Centre. In the meetings of BBMB neither Punjab is being listened to nor are the rights of Punjab being taken care of. So the BBMB should be reorganised so that the rights of Punjab can be protected.

4. The Sutlej, Ravi and Beas rivers pass through only Punjab. Then on what basis is their water being given to other states? In 1981, when the agreement to share the water of these rivers was signed between the states, the amount of water in the rivers that was written in the agreement and the amount of water that was distributed amongst states was much more than the actual water now available in these rivers. Because of this, a new agreement should be made for sharing the water of these rivers.

5. In order to call any meeting of BBMB, the law provides that a notice for minimum number of days is required to be given for each type of meeting. BBMB does not follow this law and convenes illegal meetings at night. This House directs BBMB to follow the law laid down in this regard.

6. Which state will get how much water is clearly written in the 1981 treaty, BBMB has no power to change it. If BBMB gives the share of water of one state to another state by simply convening a meeting, then such decisions of BBMB are illegal and unconstitutional. BBMB should refrain from taking such illegal decisions.

7. This House also considers the Dam Safety Act, 2021, to be an attack on the rights of Punjab. This law fully empowers the central government to directly control the rivers and dams of the states, even if the dam is entirely within the state’s borders. This is against India’s federal structure and directly undermines the sovereign right of states like Punjab over their water. Therefore, this House demands from the Central Government that the Dam Safety Act be repealed immediately and Government of Punjab rejects the Act completely."

Punjab