In a significant development amidst ongoing inter-state tensions, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday, May 7, directed the Punjab Government to release water from the Bhakra Nangal Dam to Haryana, as per the directions of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The court also firmly restrained Punjab Police from interfering in the dam’s operations, asserting BBMB’s authority under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel issued the order during a hearing of a plea filed by BBMB. The board alleged that the Punjab Police had forcefully taken over control of the dam’s operations after BBMB decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana and other states. The plea highlighted how state functionaries from Punjab, including the police, had disrupted the dam’s functioning and unlawfully interfered in BBMB’s statutory obligations.
The court, taking a firm stance, ruled, “State of Punjab and any of its functionaries, including police personnel, are restrained from interfering in the day-to-day functioning, operation and regulation of the Bhakra Nangal Dam and Lohand Control Room water Regulation offices managed by BBMB.” BBMB’s counsel argued that the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government’s obstruction amounted to a violation of federal law, as BBMB is a central body created under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, and its authority cannot be undermined by any state government. The interference, the counsel claimed, was not only illegal but could also trigger a serious constitutional crisis regarding centre-state relations and resource management.
In defense, the Punjab Government had earlier submitted that Haryana had already exceeded its allotted water quota and was now attempting to claim additional water under the pretext of drinking needs when in fact it was intended for irrigation. This assertion was strongly refuted by Haryana, which maintained that the water demand was legitimate and necessary for its population and agricultural needs, especially in the current pre-monsoon dry spell. The High Court’s decision is expected to bring temporary relief to Haryana while reigniting the long-standing water-sharing dispute between the two neighboring states.
