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PTC Web Desk: The water dispute between Punjab and Haryana has escalated further as both sides remain entrenched in their positions over water distribution from the Bhakra Canal. The impasse has led to a severe drinking water crisis in several Haryana districts, triggering political backlash and legal actions, even as high-level meetings in Delhi failed to break the deadlock.

On Saturday, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini convened an all-party meeting at Haryana Niwas in Chandigarh to address the water crisis. Following the meeting, in a joint press conference, CM Saini launched a scathing attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging that the water supply to Haryana was halted in an "unconstitutional" manner. He claimed that the dispute was being used to politically retaliate against the Aam Aadmi Party’s recent defeat in Delhi.

“Seven districts of Haryana are facing a severe drinking water shortage. Out of 614 water supply stations, 156 have completely run dry,” Saini stated. He alleged that Punjab was utilising more than its allotted share of water, leaving Haryana with 17% less than what it was entitled to.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, speaking from Jalandhar, firmly declared that Punjab would not release even "a single drop" of water, citing the state's own severe needs. “People in Punjab have historically been killed over water. We will not let anyone take away what belongs to us,” CM Mann said.

Punjab also boycotted a key BBMB meeting in Chandigarh, terming it "illegal" on procedural grounds, stating that the mandatory seven-day prior notice was not given.

Haryana has announced its intent to approach the Supreme Court. A petition is also being filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking removal of police forces from the Bhakra Dam area in Nangal, asserting that the presence of state police at a national asset is inappropriate.

Haryana CM Saini outlined five major concerns

Water Wastage to Pakistan: He claimed that surplus water was released into rivers in 2015, 2016, and 2019 due to mismanagement, some of which eventually flowed into Pakistan.

False Assurances by Punjab: Saini said his Punjab counterpart initially assured cooperation after a phone call on April 26, but later ignored the matter and instead released a politically motivated video.

SYL Canal Delays: Due to the stalled Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal project, Haryana is receiving only 1.62 MAF of the 3.5 MAF allocated to it.

Water Crisis in Rural Areas: Districts like Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Jind, and Bhiwani require 4,931.9 crore liters of drinking water, but only 764.8 crore liters are currently available.

BBMB Bias: Saini alleged that Punjab’s unilateral decisions and BBMB's inaction were eroding cooperative federalism.

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu added another dimension, pointing out that the disputed water originates from Himachal, yet the state has little say or benefit. “We are not demanding control, but want a fair 12% royalty. Our land was used, and now Punjab and Haryana are fighting over the resource.”

On Friday, two rounds of meetings were held in Delhi. The first, chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, involved senior officials from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The Home Secretary urged both Punjab and Haryana to abandon their inflexible stances and asked Haryana to submit a detailed justification for its water needs to the BBMB.

The second meeting, involving BBMB officials and the Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana, also ended inconclusively. Punjab agreed to release only 4,000 cusecs of water, whereas Haryana demanded 8,500 cusecs. Following the stalemate, the Union Home Secretary directed the BBMB to convene another board-level meeting to continue deliberations.

Government sources have indicated that the worsening water crisis could soon impact water supply to Delhi and Rajasthan, both of which rely on Haryana for potable and irrigation water. If unresolved, the dispute threatens to disrupt regional water security.