DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said that Haryana was reminded well in time that it was utilising more water and its quota of allotted water will be exhausted. Mann also demanded the reconstitution of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), calling it a "white elephant".

The chief minister was winding up the discussion on a resolution moved by his government on the river water-sharing issue during a special session of the Punjab Assembly on Monday.

The water-sharing row erupted after the AAP government in Punjab refused to allow the release of more water to Haryana, prompting the BJP to state that it would safeguard Haryana's "rightful share of water".

The Punjab government claimed that Haryana had "already used 103 per cent of the allocated water by March".

Mann said on the floor of the House that Punjab did not stop the supply of water to Haryana all of a sudden, claiming that the neighbouring state consumed river water more than 90 per cent of its allotted share for the last several years.

"We did not tell them (Haryana) suddenly that we will not give water. We wrote six letters (to Haryana) every month at the BBMB meetings. We told them you would regret it after six months, as you are utilising more water. We gave a reminder six months back but they did not follow it," Mann said.

The situation was very grim, as the dams in Punjab have 55 feet less water as compared to last year, Mann said, adding that Haryana was still given 4,000 cusecs of water.

Referring to a recent BBMB meeting, Mann said the Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh did not vote at the meeting in which a decision was taken to give 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana.

After Mann asked leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa about the same, both the leaders engaged in a war of words.

"Bajwa Saab, why didn't Himachal Pradesh vote? Remaining silent is considered half support," Mann said, to which Bajwa asked whether he had made any request in this regard.

Taking a swipe at the AAP, senior Congress leader Bajwa said Haryana AAP president Sushil Gupta has said that it will ensure that water reaches the tail end of the state. Mann then asked who brought a silver spade in 1982 for the groundbreaking ceremony of the SYL canal at Kapoori in Patiala. He added that the so-called 'Panniyan Da Rakha' later joined the BJP, referring to former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh.

"If you look at history, your hands were drenched in blood," Mann said.

As Mann and Bajwa engaged in a verbal duel, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan asked both leaders to address the chair.

Mann also dubbed the BBMB a "white elephant" and demanded its reconstitution according to the new constitution.

The BBMB was originally established to manage the waters of the Sutlej and Beas rivers, he said.

"Both these rivers belong to Punjab ? they flow here, and their waters are entirely the rightful property of Punjab. Haryana and Rajasthan have no direct connection to these rivers," the chief minister said. However, Punjab's water has been diverted to other states through the BBMB for years, Mann said.

"Now the BJP government is using this board for its political interests," he alleged. "BBMB meetings are being convened at midnight without consulting Punjab. Under pressure from other states, Punjab's rightful share is being taken away," Mann claimed. He also said that BBMB meetings are being conducted "unconstitutionally and illegally" to forcibly divert Punjab's water to Haryana at the behest of the BJP.

In the last three years, the Punjab government has tried to bring canal water to every farm in Punjab, Mann said.

"A network of canals and water courses has been built on a very large scale. Until 2021, only 22 per cent of Punjab's fields received canal water.

"But today, around 60 per cent of the fields are getting canal water, which makes every drop of water extremely valuable," he said, adding that Punjab no longer has any surplus water to give to any other state.

The Green Revolution proved very costly for Punjab due to the over-exploitation of groundwater, the chief minister said.

"However, the state government has made several water courses functional, due to which water is reaching the tail end of the state," Mann said.

Batting for a review of water sharing every 25 years, Mann said the Yamuna Sutlej Link (YSL) is required, as Punjab also has equal rights to Haryana's water, just as they seek their share in Punjab.

Rejecting the Dam Safety Act of 2021, the chief minister termed it a "serious attack" on the state and its rights.

In response, Congress leader Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa demanded that Mann bring a state law to counter the Dam Safety Act.

"We are drafting it. We will bring our own Punjab Act. The dams are in our jurisdiction, and we will protect them. Dam safety is our responsibility. We will not allow robbery of Punjab's rights," Mann replied.

(editor@dailyworld.in)