The Centre, Haryana ਸਰਕਾਰ, and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) have opposed ਪੰਜਾਬ’s request to cancel a court order from May 6 related to the Bhakra water issue. Haryana called ਪੰਜਾਬ’s actions unlawful and misleading.
ਪੰਜਾਬ had asked the ਪੰਜਾਬ and Haryana High Court to take back or change its earlier order. ਪੰਜਾਬ said the court was wrongly told that a meeting on May 2 had made a clear decision about releasing extra water.
The court had ordered ਪੰਜਾਬ to follow the decision from that meeting. But ਪੰਜਾਬ claims the meeting had no clear agenda and the order was based on wrong and misleading facts shared by BBMB, Haryana, and the Centre.
Haryana responded strongly, saying the water from BBMB is crucial for Haryana’s farmers. It accused ਪੰਜਾਬ of disobeying the court order by sending ਪੁਲਿਸ to the Bhakra-Nangal Dam and trying to take control of its operations.
The case was heard by ਮੁੱਖ Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel. They gave ਪੰਜਾਬ one day to reply. ਪੰਜਾਬ’s lawyer Gurminder Singh said the Centre, Haryana, and BBMB had filed “misleading” statements.
BBMB, in its reply, said ਪੰਜਾਬ’s request had no value and was filed too late. It said if ਪੰਜਾਬ found any issue with the May 6 order, it should have spoken up immediately.
The Centre, speaking through the Ministry of Power, said that BBMB had already made a proper decision on April 30 to release water to Haryana as per the 1974 rules, and there is no need for the Centre to step in.
Even if the water release order is changed, BBMB said ਪੰਜਾਬ is still not allowed to interfere with dam operations, and contempt proceedings are still in place.
