Punjab cops deployed at Nangal waterworks since 1950: State govt

A day after the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) took up the issue of the deployment of the Punjab Police near the Nangal dam, the Punjab Government has maintained that the Punjab Police had always been deployed at the Lohand and Nangal headworks.

At the meeting of the BBMB held on Saturday, it was decided that the Board Chairman Manoj Tripathi, would write to the Punjab Government about the reported beefing up of security at the Bhakra dam after the escalation of tension between Punjab and Haryana over the release of additional water to the latter from the Bhakra dam.

Even at a meeting of all partner states of the BBMB with Union Home Secretary last week, the issue of heavy police deployment at the dam was taken up, and the Punjab Government was pulled up for the same.

In reply to the letter written by the BBMB, Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha has said that he has taken the report from the Director-General of Police, Punjab. “… who has confirmed that the Punjab Police is responsible for the safety and security of Lohand and Nangal headworks. The deployment of police force at the Nangal waterworks has been there right since 1950 and a total of 136 police personnel, headed by a DSP-rank officer, are deployed at the Nangal headworks, including the power generation unit and associated canals to ensure round-the-clock security and safeguarding of this vital and sensitive installation”.

The Chief Secretary has further said that in the wake of the current escalating tension on the Indo-Pak borders and advisories from the Army authorities for strengthening the security of vital installations, including dams, the SSP Ropar and DIG Ropar Range had visited the two sites on April 30 and May 1, respectively, just to review and strengthen the security.

The Chief Secretary has also reiterated the Punjab Government stand, questioning the validity of the decisions taken at the Board meetings, convened without the mandatory seven-day notice. “You are aware, Punjab has been generous in agreeing to the release of additional 4,000 cusecs over and above the allocated share of the state of Haryana, considering their drinking water requirements. However, the state of Punjab has been unable to understand the state of Haryana raising its demand suddenly from 4,000 cusecs to 8,500 cusecs and the BBMB endorsing the same at its board meetings, ignoring the objections raised by the member representing State of Punjab and going ahead to implement the same,” he said.

More cops sought at dam

The Chief Engineer of Bhakra dam, Charanpreet Singh, has written a letter to the police, asking him for additional police deployment at the dam in the wake of the ongoing dharna near the Nangal dam. The dharna has been going on ever since the Haryana Government has sought the release of additional water from the dam.

Punjab