No Additional Water for Haryana, Declares Punjab CM Mann

A major water dispute has erupted between neighboring states Punjab and Haryana, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Nayab Singh Saini exchanging accusations over allocation of water from shared reservoirs.

Mann has firmly stated that Punjab will not release additional water to Haryana beyond what has already been provided on humanitarian grounds. The Punjab Chief Minister accused the BJP-led government of attempting to pressure Punjab into releasing excess water, calling it a "dirty game" against Punjab's interests.

"We will not allow the saffron party to succeed in its notorious intentions against Punjab," Mann declared in a statement addressing the controversy. He maintained that Haryana had already utilized 103% of its allocated water share for the year, exhausting its quota prematurely in March and now seeking to "grab more water by robbing Punjab."

According to Mann, Punjab has already provided 4,000 cusecs of water to Haryana for drinking water needs despite facing its own shortage. He claimed that the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which annually determines water quotas for Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan from May 21 to May 21 each year, was being "illegally used" by the BJP to secure additional water for Haryana.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has rejected these allegations, countering that the BBMB had already decided on April 23 that 8,500 cusecs of water should be released to Haryana. In a letter to Mann dated April 27, Saini expressed frustration that Punjab's Water Resources Department had not placed the indent with the BBMB to implement this decision. 

"Haryana normally receives over 9,500 cusecs of water in May and June every year," Saini noted, suggesting that the current request was within standard allocation parameters. The dispute has escalated into a public confrontation, with Saini claiming that he had personally spoken with Mann on April 26 and received assurance that Punjab officials would implement the BBMB decision by the following morning. However, Saini alleged that by 2 pm on April 27, Punjab officials had taken no action and were refusing to answer calls from their Haryana counterparts.

Mann responded by suggesting that instead of politicizing the water issue, the Union government should consider diverting waters from the Chenab, Jhelum, and Ujh rivers to the region by canceling the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan. 

Saini has mentioned in the letter that failure to make releases from the dams would necessitate massive releases during the rainy season, potentially resulting in water flowing to Pakistan which need to be prevented as India has suspended the Indus Water Treaty. 

As reservoir levels continue to drop and summer temperatures rise, the water dispute between these agricultural states shows no signs of cooling down, with both leaders firmly entrenched in their positions.