Punjab govt punctures BBMB plan to release extra water to Haryana; locks gates of Nangal dam
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ May 1,2025
Today, Punjab government has punctured the plan of BBMB to release extra water to Haryana, despite Punjab government objections. Inspite of this, Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) authorities had released extra water for Haryana on April 30-May 1 night from the Bhakra dam
Earlier on April 30,2025 Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) ordered that 8,500 cusecs of water be released to Haryana from the Bhakra dam and the water was released from the dam on April 30-May 1 night from the Bhakra dam.
When Director of Water Regulation at Nangal, Akashdeep Singh (who is from Punjab irrigation department) raised objections and refused to release the water without receipt of an indent for the release of water from Punjab, as specified in the Regulation Manual, he was immediately transferred on April 30,2025 night and posted him Director Dam safety. In his place Sanjeev Kumar is immediately posted as Director of Water Regulation who acted as per BBMB authorities wishes and released water from the dam.
When the same came into the knowledge of Punjab government, they immediately asked DIG Ropar range Harcharan Singh Bhullar and other police officials to reach Nangal.
In the morning, the police surrounded the controlling unit of Nangal dam and take control of the unit from where the water is further released to Bhakra Main Line (BML) and punctured the plan of BBMB authorities to send extra water to Haryana.
Later in the day, the BBMB has also transferred the secretary cum OSD technical to Chairman Surinder Singh Mittal, who hails from Haryana. It is alleged that he played a pivotal role on the issue of giving extra water to Haryana. In his place BBMB has given Rajasthan engineer Balbir Singh the additional charge of Director (Security) as well as Secretary of BBMB and Punjab Powercom (PSPCL) engineer Rajiv Sahi has been appointed OSD (Technical) to BBMB Chairman.
The chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann along with Anandpur sahib MLA Harjot Singh Bains visited the Nangal dam in the afternoon and directed the officials not to release any extra water to Haryana from Nangal dam.
Harjot Singh Bains admitted that water is released by the BBMB authorities in a fraudulently manner but Punjab government alertness has saved the water.
Terming it a “daylight robbery,” the State President of AAP and Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said that an emergency all-party meeting on Friday morning, followed by a Special Session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday, to strategize against what he called the Centre’s “blatant betrayal” of the state’s rights.
