New Delhi: United Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired a high-level meeting on Friday and recommended the Executive Bhakra Beas Management Committee's decision to release 4,500 cusecs of additional water from the Bhakra Dams to Haryana in the next eight days to meet the state's emergency water needs.
The Bakra Bis Management Council (BBMB) will provide this excess water to Punjab to meet any other requirements of the state during the filling of the dam, the official press release said.
A meeting was convened to discuss the implementation of the issue of the BBMB decision to release an additional 4,500 cusecs to Haryana for eight days to meet the urgent water needs in the state and certain parts of Rajasthan.
Senior officials of the central government, BBMB's partner countries – Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana – and representatives of the BBMB attended the meeting.
“This matter was discussed/deliberated and it is recommended that you release 4,500 cusecs of additional water to Haryana for the next eight days to meet their emergency water needs. It is also agreed that during the filling of the dam, the BBMB will provide Punjab with excess water to meet any requirements of Punjab to meet any other releases.
It said BBMB will immediately call a board meeting to determine the way to release additional water to Haryana.
Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are meeting their water demands with the Bhakra and Pong dams managed by BBMB.
The BBMB determines annual water supply quotas to these three states from the annual cycle from May 21 to May 21 each year.
In a water sharing between the two neighboring states, a fresh row of discharges erupted, and the AAP-regulated Punjab refused to release more water to the BJP-ruled Haryana.
Opposition leaders in Haryana claim that Punjab has supplied Bakra water to Haryana with 4,000 Cusecs, although the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue has been a debate between the two states over the past few years.
Tensions between Punjab and Haryana are escalating in water sharing, and political parties have put forward Manchester United's position on the issue at a full-party meeting convened by the AAP government on Friday.
On Monday, the Punjab government led by Bhagwant Mann convened a special Vidhan Sabha meeting on Monday, but was carefully considered during the party-wide meeting, and the parties could meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming days.
