Chandigarh, May 4 (PTI) Amid the stand-off between Punjab and Haryana over water sharing, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday questioned the silence of the Centre over the issue and asked it to instruct the Bhagwant Mann government not to create any obstructions in the allocation of Haryana’s water.
Surjewala, a Congress leader from Haryana, at a news conference here, also referred to the alleged deployment of Punjab Police personnel at the Bhakra headworks, claiming it was obstructing the release of water to Haryana and demanded that the Centre should get it freed from the “illegal occupation”.
“What is the reason that the Narendra Modi government is not issuing written orders to the Mann government under Article 257 of the Constitution (dealing with control of the Union over states in certain cases)? Why does it not give direction not to stop Haryana’s water?” asked Surjewala, a Rajya Sabha MP.
He demanded that the Modi government should hand over the security of the Bhakra-Nangal Dam project to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
The stand-off between Punjab and Haryana over water sharing intensified on Saturday as the Punjab government boycotted a meeting of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and an all-party meeting in Haryana asked the Punjab government to unconditionally release the water.
The AAP-ruled Punjab has refused to release more water to BJP-ruled Haryana, claiming the neighbouring state has “already used 103 per cent of the allocated water by March”.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan had on Friday favoured BBMB’s decision to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water from Bhakra dam to Haryana for the next eight days to meet the state’s urgent water requirements.
Noting that assembly elections are due in Punjab in January 2027, Surjewala claimed that by “deliberately maintaining silence and not taking action, the BJP is trying to make Bhagwant Mann a hero, so that the Congress can be prevented from coming to power in Punjab at any cost”.
“A controversy was deliberately created over the water of Bhakra Nangal Dam, while it was completely avoidable. Facts are that there are 1,556 feet of water in the dam at this time. According to the parameters, the water level of the dam should be maintained at a minimum of up to 1,506 feet.
“If 8,500 cusecs of water are given to Haryana every day, then by May 21, the current water level of the dam will reach only 1,532 feet from 1,556 feet, which is much above the minimum level. So what objection can any state have in such a situation? But objections are being created deliberately so that the BJP can support the sinking ship of Mann,” he alleged.
Claiming that Haryana was suffering from a severe water crisis, especially in districts like Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Jind, Fatehabad, Rewari, Mahendragarh and Sirsa, Surjewala said the water from Bhakra dam has been reduced from 8,500 cusecs to 4,000 cusecs.
He said village ponds have almost dried up in the heat and the cattle are on the verge of dying of thirst. The tanker ‘mafia’ is everywhere and are charging Rs 1,000 per tanker, he claimed.
The chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana are, however, busy only in rhetoric while the Centre is “sleeping” on the issue, Surjewala said.
He said the BBMB is part of the central power ministry under Manohar Lal Khattar and it decides the share of water for Punjab and Haryana. The Bhakra-Nangal Dam is also completely under the BBMB and the power ministry but it has not given any direction, the Congress leader said.
“On May 1, the Punjab government put police at the Bhakra-Nangal Dam and locked the entire system from where water is released from the regulator gates of the dam and the Punjab police took the keys in their possession so that Haryana’s water could not be released.
“…a situation of conflict is being created between the peace-loving people of the two states…If they stop water like this, tomorrow Haryana may say we will not allow Punjab vehicles to pass through the state..,” he said.
“This is the first time in the history of India that a state has captured a central project in this way by deploying police,” he said.
“What is the reason that despite all this highhandedness, the Modi government is not saying anything to the Punjab government?” asked Surjewala.
The Congress MP added that if a meeting is to be called on the matter then it is the sole responsibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
“But look at the strange antics of the central government. The meeting regarding the release of water is being called by the home secretary of the country, Govind Mohan, who has nothing to do with the release of water from the dam.
“On the other hand, the home ministry and the home secretary are silent on the deployment of CISF for the security of the dam, which is their responsibility. Punjab refuses to even attend the BBMB board meeting held on May 3 but Khattar is completely silent, so who will run the central project and who will provide water to Haryana?” he said.
Surjewala also targeted Chief Minister Nayab Saini for not approaching the PM and the power minister over the issue and said Haryana approaching the Supreme Court would be his “new gimmick”. PTI SUN SKY SKY
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