SAYS, DATA SHOWING HARYANA HAS ALREADY EXCEEDED ITS ANNUAL ALLOCATION
“BJP GOVERNMENTS AT CENTER AND IN HARYANA ARE ATTEMPTING TO PLUNDER BHAKRA DAM WATER RESOURCES”
UNION POWER MINISTER ML KHATTAR PLAYING BIASED ROLE IN BHAKRA DAM WATER ALLOCATION: GOYAL
“COERCIVE POLICY OF BJP GOVERNMENT WOULD PROVE DANGEROUS FOR THE FEDERAL STRUCTURE”
Chandigarh, May 1:
Categorically rejecting the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) decision to release 8500 cusecs of additional water to Haryana, Punjab Water Resources and Soil & Water Conservation Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal today said that Haryana has already utilized 104% of its annual water allocation.
Sh. Goyal said that Punjab is committed to protecting the state’s rightful water share while highlighting that Punjab is already releasing 4,000 cusecs to Haryana despite facing its own water scarcity challenges.
“The data is clear and irrefutable. According to BBMB’s own records, Haryana has already consumed 3.110 MAF of water against its annual allocation of 2.987 MAF, which means they have already used 104% of their share for the year,” said Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal, adding that Punjab’s farmers are facing critical water shortages, with 75.16% of our groundwater blocks (115 out of 153 blocks) already over-exploited compared to 61.53% in Haryana.
The Cabinet Minister further questioned the justification for Haryana’s demand, noting that the requested 8500 cusecs far exceeds what would be required for drinking water purposes. Basic calculations show that Haryana’s drinking water requirements for its around 3 crore population would not exceed 1700 cusecs, based on the standard allocation of 135 liters per person per day. The demand for 8500 cusecs would be sufficient for a population of around 15 crore, which clearly indicates this water is intended for irrigation purposes, not drinking water, he added.
The Cabinet Minister stressed that Punjab had strategically planned its water usage to ensure sufficient supply for cotton crops during the critical April-May period, after conserving water during the wheat season.
“We have repeatedly communicated to the BBMB Chairman that partner states should plan their water usage to meet all demands from their allocated share during April and May. While Punjab has supported Haryana during water shortages in the past, our current water situation makes it impossible to release more than the 4,000 cusecs we are already providing,” he added.
Sh. Goyal reiterated that the Punjab government under Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann is steadfast in its commitment to safeguard every drop of Punjab’s rightful share of water resources and will continue to oppose decisions that jeopardize the state’s agricultural and economic interests.
Sh. Brainder Kumar Goyal said that the role being played by Haryana’s former Chief Minister and sitting Union Power Minister Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar in securing additional water from Bhakra Dam for Haryana is biased. He said that Mr. Khattar should consider the interests of the entire nation rather than advocating solely for Haryana’s benefit.
The Water Resources Minister criticized the coercive policy being adopted by the Union Government to procure extra water for Haryana, warning that such an approach would prove dangerous for the federal structure in the future.
He lamented that the BJP governments at the Center and in Haryana are attempting to plunder the water resources of Bhakra Dam. He pointed out that in the past, Punjab had excessively utilized its water resources to provide food security to the nation and depleted its soil fertility for the country’s sake.
Sh. Goyal emphatically declared that they would also wage a legal battle on this issue and would not allow their rights to be usurped at any cost.
