Decades-old water dispute between Punjab and Hary- ana took a legal turn on Monday with the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) moving the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the Punjab govern- ment for allegedly taking “il- legal and unconstitutional” control of the Bhakra Nangal Dam through state police de- ployment. The BBMB’s urgent peti- tion, likely to be heard on Tuesday, has sought the removal of Punjab Police personnel from the dam premises, terming their presence a direct interfer- ence in the Board’s statutory functioning. The Board has also approached the Minis- try of Home Affairs (MHA), demanding the deployment of Central Industrial Secu- rity Force (CISF) personnel to secure the dam’s regulator gates, which are currently under the control of Pun- jab Police despite a Union Home Secretary directive asking the state government to withdraw its forces.
Simultaneously, the Punjab government escalated its stance in the political arena. During a special session of the state legislative assembly, Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal tabled a strongly worded resolution opposing BBMB’s decision to release an additional 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana, arguing Punjab simply cannot afford the diversion. “There is no surplus water in Punjab,” said Goyal. “BBMB is working under BJP’s pressure to weaken Punjab’s rightful claims. This is not acceptable.” Meanwhile, the resolution found rare cross-party support, with senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa backing the Aam Aadmi Party-led government. “Punjab’s water is not a political issue—it’s a matter of survival,” Bajwa said in a post on X. “I’ve assured full support to the AAP govt in safeguarding our lifeline. Time to scrap the BBMB Act, Reorganisation Act clauses & Dam Safety Act. Desertification is real. Punjab must unite.” BBMB, however, has categorically stated in its petition that the Punjab Police’s occupation of the dam’s headworks is “completely unjustified” and threatens the constitutional integrity of inter-state water management mechanisms. It alleged that the state government, in a blatant overreach, has physically taken control of the Nangal Dam facilities. The flashpoint has triggered alarm at the Centre, with BBMB now pressing for central security deployment to restore neutral control at the critical infrastructure site.
