Haryana to move Supreme Court over Bhakra Canal water dispute as talks with Punjab fail

Chandigarh: With no consensus reached in the latest round of talks, the Haryana government has decided to approach the Supreme Court seeking the diversion of water from the Bhakra Canal.

The decision came after a meeting of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in Delhi on Friday, where Punjab agreed to release only 4,000 cusecs of water, falling short of Haryana’s demand for 8,500 cusecs.

Haryana Irrigation Minister Shruti Chaudhary confirmed the development and said the state would soon file a petition in the Supreme Court. “We are going to the Supreme Court for our water rights. The petition is likely to be filed today. There are holidays ahead, so we are trying to decide on it soon,” she said.

The BBMB meeting was attended by the chief secretaries of Punjab and Haryana but ended without any agreement. Earlier, the Union Home Ministry had convened a meeting in Delhi with officials from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan to mediate the issue.

Sources said Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan urged both Punjab and Haryana to give up their rigid stances. Haryana was also asked to provide a solid justification to the BBMB for its additional water requirement. Mohan reportedly said that if Haryana’s demand is found valid, the state could borrow water unconditionally from Punjab, with the assurance that Punjab could reclaim it when required.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government held an all-party meeting at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh to discuss the issue.

Although invitations were extended to party presidents, only BJP president Sunil Jakhar attended in person, while the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal sent their representatives. The meeting lasted two hours and concluded with a joint press conference.