Punjab-Haryana water dispute is a big shock to Punjab government, High Court rejected petition

Chandigarh: The Punjab government has suffered a major setback in the water dispute related to the Bhakra Vyas Management Board between Punjab and Haryana. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed the petition of the Punjab government seeking to withdraw or amend its order of May 6, directing Haryana to release water. The High Court reserved its order on the petition of the Punjab government on 26 May. Punjab had requested the High Court to withdraw or amend his order on May 6.

What is the matter?

The High Court had directed Punjab to release 4,500 cusecs of water to Haryana as per the May 2 decision of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan. The High Court on May 6 directed Punjab to follow the decision of the meeting chaired by the Union Home Secretary on May 2. Punjab accused the Center, Haryana and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) of hiding ‘important facts’, due to which the High Court gave the order on May 6. On Saturday, a bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumit Goel dismissed the Punjab government’s petition.

Citing the claim of the state of Punjab, that disputes related to water between two or more states arise from Article 262 of the Constitution, according to which the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 applies, the court said, “The court has admitted that this court has admitted that the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966 is an example of Article 262 (1) of the Constitution, an example of the order to withdraw/modify the order of the Punjab State does not help in any way in order to withdraw/modify the Punjab State State. The state of Punjab should not prove that it has not happened in this case due to this error.

All the arguments of Punjab

The main emphasis of Punjab’s logic is regarding hiding facts from BBMB and Haryana. It states that the letter of April 29 of Haryana was not brought to the notice of the court. In this case, the chairman of BBMB was requested to send the matter to the Center. However, the court rejected all the arguments of Punjab concretely and said that the letter which was cited was only for the implementation of a proposal of the technical committee meeting and not a formal reference to any dispute.

A division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumit Goyal said that the order to release water was the action taken in the state of emergency so that millions of people could get water. The court had also said that if Punjab has any objection, it can give a formal reference to the central government under Rule 7, for which it has already been given freedom in the order. Punjab also argued that due to the repair of Western Yamuna Canal, now the demand for additional water of Haryana is over. But the court also described it as insignificant as the matter was resolved in immediate emergency and there was no opportunity to listen to the widespread arguments of all the parties. Following this order of the Punjab-Haryana High Court, the sword of contempt of the High Court has been hanging on the Chief Secretary and DGP of Punjab as the High Court had ordered Haryana to release water, this order was not followed.

Punjab-Haryana fresh water dispute

1. The water dispute between Punjab and Haryana is quite old. This year the dispute intensified again. Punjab opposed the demand for 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana from Bhakra-Nangal Dam. Punjab said that Haryana has already used its share of water.
2. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that Punjab does not have additional water and Haryana will not be given even a drop.
3. Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini accused Punjab of violating agreements and said that this could deepen the water crisis in Haryana.
4. Punjab, opposing the decision of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), deployed police at Nangal Dam, which Haryana and BBM said illegal intervention.
5. The Supreme Court in 2004 termed the cancellation of Punjab’s water distribution agreement as unconstitutional and ordered the construction of the SYL canal to be completed, but Punjab did not implement it.
6. In 2025, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed Punjab not to interfere in the operation of BBMB and to provide water to Haryana.
7. Punjab demanded a review of the High Court’s 6 May 2025 order, claiming that the Center and BBMB presented the wrong facts.

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