DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday rejected Haryana's demand for more water, stating that the neighbouring state has already utilised its share. Mann accused the BJP of exerting pressure on Punjab government through the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to meet Haryana's demand.

He further asked the Centre to fill up Punjab's reservoirs by diverting the water flowing to Pakistan, now that the Indus Water Treaty stands suspended.

Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are partnering states who meet their water requirements from Bhakra and Pong dams managed by the BBMB. The BBMB decides the annual quota of water supply to the three states on May 21 every year.

Mann said Haryana has utilised its share of water in March and is now seeking additional water for April and May. He said Punjab needs water for the upcoming paddy sowing season and there is not a single surplus drop to spare.

"We told them that they should have used their share of water judiciously. Where could we give more water? We have a paddy sowing season coming up. There is already demand for canal water (from farmers)," said Mann.

Accusing the Union government of making "yet another dirty move" eyeing Punjab's waters, he said, "We will not let it succeed at any cost." In a video posted on X, the chief minister said, "The BJP is pressuring us through BBMB to give more water to Haryana. I want to make it clear that we do not have a single drop of surplus water. We are utilising our share for our purposes. Haryana was given its share, which it has already utilised two months ago." "However, we are still giving 4,000 cusecs of water for drinking purposes on humanitarian grounds," he said.

Referring to the suspension of Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, Mann said the BJP is claiming that it will not allow water flow to Pakistan. "Then you give that water to us, fill our dams and we will give it to Haryana," he said.

On April 23, the Centre announced that the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Islamabad credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.

The move came a day after terrorists killed 26 people in south Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The Punjab chief minister said water levels in Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams were less by 39 feet and 24 feet respectively, as compared to water levels in the corresponding period a year ago.

He said Punjab government has set the canal water system right and hence was utilising it. "You (Haryana) have several other resources, take water from there. We will not let Punjab farmers face any water problem. Water is our necessity. We have to give 185 lakh metric tonnes of paddy under the public distribution system," Mann said. 

(editor@dailyworld.in)