Punjab, Haryana lock horns over Bhakra waters,Bittu slams Mann

Water disputes have cropped up between Punjab and Haryana. The issue is related to Bhakra river. Punjab has denied to shre a drop of water with the other states.  Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has termed the statement made by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann regarding water distribution from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) as shocking and baseless. He said Haryana has received only 4000 cusecs of water over the past week, which is roughly 60 per cent of its total demand. Saini added that the Punjab Chief Minister is fully aware that the water released from the dam in May is meant for drinking use by Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan.
He said, when the Aam Aadmi Party was in power in Delhi, it raised no objections over Delhi’s water share. However, now that AAP has lost the Delhi elections, the Punjab Chief Minister is making such statements to punish the people of Delhi, said Nayab Singh Saini. Saini also emphasised that it is essential to empty water reservoirs before June to store rainwater during the Monsoon season. If the reservoir is not cleared in time, excess water will flow to Pakistan via Harike-Pattan, which is neither in the interest of Punjab nor the nation.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has categorically said that the state does not have even a single drop of water to share with the other states. He said that Punjab has already given 4000 cusec of water to Haryana on humanitarian grounds to fulfil their drinking water needs. Mann said that the water situation is already dismal in the state. In a statement, he said that Haryana has already utilised all the water of its share in the month of March this year, due to which they are now trying to grab some more water by robbing Punjab of its water.
Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing, Ravneet Singh Bittu, has also condemned the Punjab Chief Minister for raking up a water dispute with Haryana at a time when the nation is facing Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Describing it as a shameful act, he said that although Punjab has full rights to its full share of river waters, it is unfortunate that Mann chose this time to divide the states and play petty politics over national interests.Haryana is pressing Punjab to release an additional 8,500 cusecs of water, a demand rejected by the Punjab govt as "unjustified". According to BBMB data, Haryana was allocated 2.987 Million Acre-Feet (MAF) of water for utilisation until May 21, 2025, based on availability of water in the dam. However, as of April 25, 2025, Haryana has already utilised its entire share and has even overdrawn by approximately 0.104 MAF, exceeding its allocation by 103%.