All-party meeting in Haryana on water sharing issue

Chandigarh: Amid a row over the river water sharing with Punjab, an all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana government to discuss the matter was held here on Saturday.

Representatives of political parties including the BJP, Congress, INLD, JJP and AAP, participated in the meeting, a day after the AAP government in Punjab held a similar meeting that saw parties, including the BJP's state unit, putting up a united stand on the issue.

Punjab government has refused to release more water to the BJP-ruled Haryana, sparking a fresh dispute.

In the meeting on Saturday, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, state Irrigation Minister Shruti Choudhry, Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Uday Bhan, JJP's Dushyant Chautala, AAP's Sushil Gupta and INLD's Ram Pal Majra were present.

Earlier in the day, Saini claimed that his state has demanded water in the same quantity and ratio as earlier, and accused the AAP government in Punjab of playing politics over the water-sharing issue.

Coming out strongly against the Bhagwant Mann government's stance on the matter, Saini said, "If anyone comes to our home, the first thing we do is to offer a glass of water before we talk. It is surprising that politics can be played to such an extent that there would be a question mark on drinking water." There should be no politics over it, he told reporters here on the sidelines of an anti-drug event launched by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya were also present at the event.

"It is unfortunate that the drinking water supply has been stopped. Nobody does this," an exasperated Haryana chief minister said while pointing out that water consumption increased during the summer months of April, May and June.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had asserted that his government would not allow the release of more water to the neighbouring state, claiming it has already utilised 103 per cent of its allocated share.

Mann had said the Punjab government, as a humanitarian gesture, had already generously allotted 4,000 cusecs of water daily to Haryana since April 6.

He had also hit out at the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) for its decision to release extra water to Haryana, saying such "robbery" of Punjab's rights will not be tolerated and that the Board has no right to "dictate" matters related to his state.

The BBMB regulates water distribution from Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams. Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are the partnering states that meet their water requirement for different purposes, including irrigation, from Bhakra and Pong dams.