The war between Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana over water has intensified. Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) Chairman Manoj Tripathi has been taken hostage in Nangal by Aam Aadmi Party workers in the presence of police. After the incident, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has reached Nangal Dam from Chandigarh.
On May 2, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan ordered the Punjab government to release an additional 4500 cusecs of water for Haryana, but in the special session of the assembly on 5 May, the Punjab government passed a resolution for not giving a single drop of water to Haryana. Meanwhile, the instructions of the Punjab Haryana High Court to provide additional water to Haryana have also been rejected by Bhagwant Maan Sarkar of Punjab.
Since May 1, the Nangal Dam is under the guard of the Punjab Police and the key to the lock on the control room of the dam is also in possession of the Punjab Police officials. Late on Wednesday night, a top official of Bhakra Beas Management Board tried to forcibly release water from Nangal Dam, after which the police took him into custody.
On Thursday afternoon, BBMB Chairman Manoj Tripathi also reached Bhakra Nangal Dam but was not allowed to go to the dam. After this he reached the Sutlej Sadan where Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains along with his supporters locked the main gate of the House.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has clarified that the Punjab government or Punjab Police cannot interfere in the functioning of BBMB in the possession of Bhakra Dam and Lohand Control Room in the possession of the Punjab government from May 1. A division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumit Goyal ruled in this regard and said that the Punjab government can only increase the security of Bhakra Nangal Dam by staying within the purview of the security law.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has also directed to implement the decision of the meeting held on May 2 under the chairmanship of the Central Government’s Home Secretary. In this, it was decided to release 4500 cusecs of additional water to Haryana. The High Court has clarified that if the Punjab government does not agree with the decision of the BBMB, then for this, the Central Government can be talked to through the Chairman of the Board, but the Punjab government has captured the Nangal dam and has taken possession of the Nangal Dam, not following the directions of the High Court and has also captured the BBMB guest house Satluj Sadan.
After the lockout of the Sutlej Sadan on Thursday, Punjab’s Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister Harjot Singh Bains put a post on X and wrote that while taking immediate and strict action on Nangal Dam, we have successfully stopped the illegal effort of BBMB to release Punjab without the consent of the state. After reaching CM Mann Nangal, no further movement will be allowed. Will not let Punjab be looted. Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa has posted a post and wrote that Punjab Chief Minister Mann and are taking conflict with Publicity’s BBMB, shing to adopt legal routes.
