'Punjab won't give single drop of water to Haryana': Resolution moved in Punjab Assembly

The resolution added that Punjab would no longer accept any decisions made by the Bhakra Beas Management Board on water distribution; also calls for the repeal of the Dam Safety Act, 2021

Amid its ongoing face-off over sharing water with Haryana, the Punjab Assembly on Monday (May 5, 2025) passed a resolution to say the State would not spare “even a single drop of water” from its share to Haryana.

The resolution, which was moved by Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goel during a special session of the State Assembly, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to “take away” Punjab’s rights via the Haryana government, Central government, and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The resolution added that Punjab would no longer accept any decisions made by the BBMB regarding water distribution.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that for years, Punjab’s water had been diverted to other States by the BBMB. “Now the BJP government has started using this Board for its political interests. Without consulting Punjab, meetings are being called at midnight, and under pressure from other States, Punjab’s rightful share is being taken away,” the Punjab CM said in the House.

“In an unconstitutional and illegal manner, BBMB meetings were being convened to forcibly divert Punjab’s water to Haryana,” Mr. Mann said, adding that Haryana had already used up its entire allocated share of water by March 31. The waters of the Sutlej and Beas rivers belonged solely and entirely to Punjab, Mr. Mann said, adding, “We will now use this water fully for ourselves.”

He also rejected the Dam Safety Act, saying, “It is a serious attack on the State and its rights.”

The resolution read: “This House also considers the Dam Safety Act, 2021, to be an attack on the rights of Punjab. This law fully empowers the central government to directly control the rivers and dams of the states, even if the dam is entirely within the state’s borders. This is against India’s federal structure and directly undermines the sovereign right of states like Punjab over their water. Therefore, this House demands from the Central Government that the Dam Safety Act be repealed immediately and Government of Punjab rejects the Act completely.”

The Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Congress’s Partap Singh Bajwa, supported the resolution. “There’s not even a single drop [of water] to spare,” Mr. Bajwa said.

Published - May 05, 2025 05:14 pm IST