In a significant development in the ongoing interstate water dispute, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on May 6 restrained the Punjab government and its police from interfering in the functioning and regulation of the Bhakra-Nangal Dam and associated water control offices managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel issued the interim order while hearing petitions filed by the BBMB and others, objecting to the alleged deployment of Punjab Police at the Nangal Dam and Lohand Control Room. The court clarified that while Punjab is free to provide security to the BBMB and the dam infrastructure, it cannot interfere with its daily operations.
“The State of Punjab and any of its functionaries including police personnel are restrained from interfering in the day-to-day functioning, operation and regulation of the Bhakra-Nangal Dam and Lohand control room water regulation offices managed by BBMB,” the bench stated.
The court further directed Punjab to adhere to the decisions taken during a high-level meeting held on May 2 under the chairmanship of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan. The meeting had recommended that an additional 4,500 cusecs of water be released from Bhakra Dam to Haryana for eight days to address an urgent water shortage.
The bench clarified that if Punjab disagrees with any BBMB decision, it is entitled to approach the Central Government under Rule 7 of the 1974 Rules by submitting a representation through the BBMB chairman, which must be considered expeditiously.
BBMB, in its plea, described the Punjab Police’s actions as “unconstitutional and illegal,” alleging that the force had forcibly taken over the dam’s operations and prevented the release of water to Haryana. The Board sought directions to remove the police presence deployed “without any authority of law.”
During the proceedings, the Punjab government claimed that the police were deployed at the site solely for security purposes and not to disrupt BBMB operations. The state also argued that it was already supplying 4,000 cusecs of water to Haryana on “humanitarian grounds” and opposed the directive to release an additional 4,500 cusecs, citing that Haryana had already consumed its allocated share by March.
The court also clubbed a separate petition filed by advocate Ravinder Singh Dhull, who alleged that Punjab had breached constitutional norms by deploying its police force at BBMB facilities. Dhull added that a gram panchayat from Haryana had also approached the court on the matter.
Notably, BBMB’s technical committee had earlier, on April 23, approved the release of 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana, a decision which has since sparked friction between the two neighbouring states. The matter will be heard further as the court continues to monitor compliance and resolution.
