Punjab & Haryana High Court stops Punjab govt from meddling in Bhakra Dam operations. Orders urgent release of 4,500 cusecs water to Haryana.
Chandigarh: In an important decision, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has clearly told the Punjab government and Punjab Police not to interfere in how the Bhakra Nangal Dam is being managed.
The dam is under the control of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which handles its operations daily.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel gave this order while hearing a petition filed by BBMB.
BBMB had complained that the Punjab Police had wrongly taken over the control of the dam after a decision was made to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana and other States. BBMB said that this action by Punjab Police stopped them from doing their normal duties at the dam.
The High Court, while hearing the matter in detail on the previous day, strongly criticized the actions of the Punjab government.
The Court said,
“We are doing this to our enemy country. Let us not do this within our States.”
After hearing everything, the Court passed its written order today and gave a strong message that nobody from the Punjab government, including police officials, should interfere with the BBMB’s daily work at the Bhakra Nangal Dam or the Lohand Control Room where water is regulated.
The Court clearly said,
“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 Court also showed concern over how police forces from Punjab were reportedly stopping the proper working of the BBMB officials at the dam. The judges said that if BBMB’s complaint is true, then this act of using police to disturb the dam’s operations cannot be accepted.
The Court stated,
“If this allegation of the BBMB is correct, then the deployment of police force for interfering in the management and functioning of the BBMB cannot be appreciated. The Punjab Police is always free to provide adequate security to the Bhakra Beas Management Board and its personnel but cannot interfere in the day to day functioning of the BBMB so as to obstruct the operation and management of the Bhakra Dam and water related works.”
In addition to this, the Court also ordered the Punjab government to follow a recent decision taken during a meeting led by the Union Home Secretary.
In that meeting, it was decided that an extra 4,500 cusecs of water should be released to help meet urgent water needs in Haryana and some areas in Rajasthan.
The Court said,
“State of Punjab is directed to abide by decision of the meeting held on 02.05.2025 under the Chairmanship of the Home Secretary to the Government of India.”
The judges also pointed out that if the Punjab government disagrees with any BBMB decisions, they must raise the issue with the Central Government as per the Bhakra Beas Management Board Rules.
The Court mentioned that Punjab should have used the legal process rather than taking matters into its own hands.
The Court noted,
“In the conspectus of the above discussion and the law which clearly provides for an alternative statutory remedy available to dissenting State to represent to the Central Government for resolving the water dispute, the State of Punjab in all fairness ought to have represented before the Central Government. No such representation has been made by the State of Punjab.”
However, the Court added that if the Punjab government now wants to present its disagreement officially, the Central Government should act quickly and make a decision. Also, the Court said that the Central Government can think about BBMB’s suggestion of deploying paramilitary forces at the dam so that such incidents do not happen again.
This case involved top lawyers from all sides. Senior Advocate Rajesh Garg, along with lawyers Neha Matharoo, Mandeep Singh, and RK Narwal, appeared for BBMB.
The Punjab government was represented by Senior Advocate Gurminder Singh, Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi, Additional Advocate General Maninder Singh, and Advocate Jatinder Singh Gill.
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For Haryana, Advocate General Pravindra Singh Chauhan, along with Additional Advocates General Deepak Balyan and Naveen S. Bhardwaj, were present.
Representing the Union of India was Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain with Senior Panel Counsel Dheeraj Jain.
In two related Public Interest Litigations, lawyers R Kartikeya, RS Dhull, Akanksha, Sidhi Bansal, Ridhi Bansal, and Kartik Patial also appeared.
This decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court comes at a very important time when water management between States is a sensitive and essential issue.
The Court’s clear message ensures that law and order must be followed, and any disagreements must be sorted legally and peacefully through proper channels.
Case Title:
Bhakra Beas Management Board v. State of Punjab and another
Read Judgment:
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