Ending the 20-day sit-in protest at the Nangal Dam, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday declared a symbolic “victory” over what he termed as the “systematic plunder” of Punjab’s waters by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), and vowed to continue the fight for the state’s rightful share. Mann also announced that the Punjab Government would push for the reconstitution of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) at the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting on May 24, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mann, addressing a massive rally organized to mark the conclusion of the dharna — observed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as ‘Fateh Diwas’, lambasted the BBMB, branding it a “white elephant” that had outlived its utility. “Punjab will never accept the BBMB in its current form,” he declared, accusing the Board of acting at the behest of the Centre and the Haryana Government to deprive Punjab of its legitimate water share.
He alleged that Haryana had exhausted its allocated water quota by March, but BBMB officials, under political pressure, orchestrated an “unprecedented move” by having its chairman release water from Nangal to Haryana. “It was effectively the theft of Punjab’s water,” he asserted, stating that Haryana consumed 1.42 lakh cusecs more than its share between September 2024 and May 2025.
Terming BBMB’s functioning as opaque and discriminatory, the Chief Minister said: “They took Rs 32 crore from Punjab for various projects but never returned it. With interest, the amount now exceeds Rs 130 crore. We will stake a legal claim to recover it.”
Mann also targeted the BBMB for failing to fill over 3,000 posts reserved for Punjab, alleging that it was a deliberate attempt to weaken the state’s influence within the Board. “Efforts are underway to ensure that Punjab’s representation is restored and our rights safeguarded,” he added.
“Efforts will be made to fill these posts at the earliest so that the interests of the state can be safeguarded,” he said, adding that even the township of Nangal, which had been aesthetically designed, has been ruined due to the neglect of the BBMB, which is really deplorable.
Highlighting symbolic injustices, Mann pointed out that BBMB headquarters showcased photographs of Haryana and Rajasthan Chief Ministers but not of Punjab’s. “This kind of systemic exclusion will no longer be tolerated,” he said.
Reviving the long-standing canal dispute, Mann suggested building a Yamuna-Sutlej Link (YSL) canal instead of the controversial Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL). “The Sutlej is already dry. There is no question of sharing a single drop of water. Instead, water from the Yamuna and Ganga should be supplied to Punjab through YSL,” he proposed.
He also criticized the previous SAD and Congress Governments for failing to protect Punjab’s water interests. “They stood by silently while our waters were looted,” he said.
The dharna, launched by AAP on May 2, protested BBMB’s alleged bias in distributing water. The protest intensified after BBMB’s decision to release an additional 4,500 cusecs to Haryana. Mann claimed that previous governments never objected to such practices, but “those who defend Punjab’s water have now arrived”.
The event saw posters of Mann as ‘Pania Da Rakha’ (saviour of waters) plastered across Nangal town. Senior cabinet ministers including Harjot Bains, Laljit Bhullar, Barinder Goyal, and others were in attendance.
Despite the end of the dharna, AAP leaders vowed to persist with their campaign to renegotiate water-sharing agreements like the Bhakra Nangal Agreement (1966) and Ravi-Beas Agreement (1982). As per these pacts, Punjab is entitled to 57.88 percent of Sutlej water, while Haryana and Rajasthan are allotted 32.31 percent and 9.81 percent respectively.
With groundwater levels in Punjab depleting rapidly and large parts of the state categorized as red zones, Mann stressed the need for reviewing all water-sharing agreements every 25 years. “These pacts were inked in a different era and do not reflect the current climatic or hydrological realities,” he said.
He emphasized the state's renewed focus on canal irrigation to reduce dependency on tube wells. “From now on, villages receiving canal water will get power at night to promote sustainable irrigation,” he said.
Mann accused former Haryana Chief Minister and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of politicizing the issue. “They turned it into a prestige battle. We have no animosity with Haryana’s people, only with the politics they chose,” he said, referring to Haryana as a “younger brother” who must act responsibly.
“From 1 pm today, water will be released to Haryana as per the state's allocation and in keeping with the capacity of the infrastructure. But the neighbouring state should make judicious use of the water and not hope for extra water during the current cycle,” he said.
Centre Deploys CISF at Bhakra Dam Amid Punjab-Haryana Water Dispute
The Union Government on Wednesday deployed 296 personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to take charge of security at the Bhakra Dam, amid ongoing tensions between Punjab and Haryana over river water distribution. The decision, taken by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, comes on the same day the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) concluded its dharna at the Nangal Dam, marking a politically sensitive turn in the ongoing standoff.
The move is being viewed as a significant assertion of central authority, effectively removing the Punjab Police from their security role at the dam site. Punjab had increased its police presence at the Nangal Dam earlier this month, after BBMB chairman Manoj Tripathi was gheraoed by protestors during a contentious visit to oversee water release to Haryana.
With a financial sanction of Rs 8.58 crore for the deployment, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has been instructed to bear the cost of the CISF personnel — approximately Rs 2.9 lakh per member — and provide necessary infrastructure, including accommodation, communication systems, and transport.
The timing of the deployment has drawn sharp attention, as it coincides with AAP’s celebration over blocking the release of additional water to Haryana, which had already exhausted its share for the depletion period ending May 2025. The water-sharing dispute, currently under judicial scrutiny, saw the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently directing Punjab not to interfere in BBMB’s operations and authorizing the Board to seek central forces if needed.
The latest development signaled the Centre’s firm intervention in managing a politically volatile issue, while sidelining state-level resistance and reinforcing federal control over inter-state river water governance.