Special Punjab Assembly session today as water dispute with Haryana intensifies

Bhagwant Mann

The Punjab Assembly will hold a special session on Monday to discuss the long-standing water-sharing conflict with Haryana. This comes after the Central government directed Punjab to release an extra 4,500 cusecs of water per day to Haryana from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) reservoirs for eight days. Currently, Haryana already receives 4,000 cusecs daily.

Punjab has strongly opposed this order, arguing that it does not have any surplus water to give. State officials say Haryana has already received more than its fair share, and even the ongoing supply is being provided only for humanitarian reasons.

In protest, Punjab boycotted a BBMB partner states meeting held on Saturday, stating that it had received the invitation at very short notice. According to Punjab, BBMB rules require a seven-day notice for such meetings. The last two meetings were also called with just a day's notice.

The Aam Aadmi Party government also said that it will not participate in any more discussions until the Assembly session is over. The government is set to revisit the entire history of the division of the state’s river waters after the Partition of India in 1947, from the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan and to the Reorganisation Act of 1966, all are expected to be revisited in the House.

This dispute is taking place just ahead of the BBMB's annual water allocation cycle, which starts on May 21. Tensions escalated after the Centre, represented by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, supported Haryana’s request for more water, ignoring Punjab’s objections. At a BBMB meeting on April 30, both states were present when the board ordered 8,500 cusecs of water to be released to Haryana.

In response, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann held an all-party meeting on Friday and then called for the special Assembly session. All political parties in Punjab expressed solidarity, although BJP politicians said Haryana had received additional water in the past, suggesting the current crisis was avoidable.

Haryana also conducted an all-party meeting, where everyone supported the state’s stand. Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini claimed Punjab had agreed to the extra water release, but Mann rejected this as false in a letter, accusing the BJP-led Centre and Haryana of pressuring Punjab unfairly.

Opposition leader Partap Singh Bajwa of Congress said his party would defend Punjab’s water rights but chose not to reveal their full strategy. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised the AAP government and urged PM Modi to step in, accusing the state leadership of risking Punjab’s interests by agreeing to release water.