Haryana CM Accuses Punjab of Politicising Inter-State River Disputes

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As summer tightens its grip on northern India and water scarcity becomes a pressing concern, a political standoff between two neighboring states — Haryana and Punjab — has reignited over the contentious issue of river water distribution. At the center of this escalating row is Haryana’s Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who has accused his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann of distorting facts and leveraging the crisis for political mileage ahead of a charged electoral season. Speaking to the media from Chandigarh on April 29, Chief Minister Saini called Mann’s recent statements on water sharing “surprising and misleading,” alleging that they deflect from Punjab’s administrative inaction. The controversy emerged after Mann released a public video criticizing Haryana over its water demands, a move Saini claims misrepresents a longstanding, technically governed allocation system. Saini recounted that on April 26, he personally phoned Mann to flag concerns that Punjab officials were delaying the implementation of a technical committee’s decision issued three days prior — a directive involving water releases from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the federal agency overseeing key dams in the region. According to Saini, Mann gave assurances that his officers would comply by the next morning. But by April 27, he says, no action had been taken, nor had Punjab’s officials responded to Haryana’s attempts at communication. A formal letter followed — unanswered — until Mann’s video message shifted the narrative into the public eye. “Rather than replying to the letter within 48 hours, Mann released a video to mislead the people of India and bolster his political image in Punjab,” said Saini, who attached a copy of his correspondence for transparency. This interstate tension is not new but draws on deep-seated disputes dating back to the 1960s when Haryana was carved out of Punjab. Since then, water sharing — especially from the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers and their associated dams — has remained a contentious issue, often exacerbated by agricultural demand and erratic monsoons. At the core of the argument lies the BBMB’s water management, which annually governs distribution from the Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and parts of Himachal Pradesh. The allocations are based on seasonal requirements, storage levels, and drinking water needs. But with elections looming and Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) facing scrutiny, Saini accused Mann of politicizing a technical matter that should remain above partisan fray. “The BBMB and state governments maintain meticulous records of every drop of water distributed. It’s simply untrue to suggest otherwise,” Saini asserted, refuting Mann’s claim that no water data existed before recent years. In fact, Saini presented multi-year dam level data and water receipt figures to demonstrate consistency in Haryana’s allocations during April, May, and June — months in which paddy sowing is legally banned in both states due to groundwater preservation laws. For instance, on April 29 this year, the Bhakra Dam water level stood at 1555.82 feet — slightly lower than in previous years — yet Haryana had received significantly less water, only about 4,000 cusecs, or 60 percent of its total demand. In contrast, during April 2023, the state received over 10,000 cusecs, even when water levels were comparable. Saini further clarified that out of the total water flow from Bhakra to the Haryana Contact Point (HCP), portions are earmarked for Delhi (500 cusecs), Rajasthan (800 cusecs), and Punjab itself (400 cusecs). That leaves Haryana with 6,800 cusecs for its own consumption — primarily drinking water, since agriculture operations during these months are limited. The implications, according to Saini, stretch beyond his own state. “If BBMB does not supply Haryana its rightful share, the shortfall won’t just impact our people — it will disrupt national-level water management,” he said. “Any unused reservoir capacity before June must be cleared to make room for monsoon inflows. Otherwise, excess water may be forced into the Indus system and enter Pakistan via Harike Barrage, which benefits no one — not Punjab, not Haryana, and certainly not India.” He also linked the recent discord to electoral setbacks faced by AAP in Delhi, suggesting Mann’s comments about Delhi’s share of water had political undertones. “As long as AAP governed Delhi, there was no objection to its drinking water quota. Now that they’ve lost power, Delhi’s people are being punished through rhetorical attacks.” Saini was unequivocal in his appeal for cooperation. “We urge Punjab to rise above a narrow, state-centric view and work with us in the national interest,” he said, adding that ensuring Haryana’s share is not just an administrative matter, but a gesture towards regional harmony and responsible water stewardship. As climate stress intensifies and water becomes an increasingly scarce and politicized resource in India, the Punjab-Haryana exchange is a microcosm of the broader challenges confronting federal water governance. In the world’s most populous nation — where rivers define political borders, livelihoods, and future security — equitable and depoliticized water sharing is not just necessary. It is urgent. #IndiaWaterCrisis #PunjabHaryana #WaterPolitics #SouthAsiaClimate #InterstateTensions This is an auto-generated news web feature for international syndication.