SAS Nagar, May 5- Senior Congress leader and former Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu has condemned the Bhakra Beas Management Board's (BBMB) decision to allocate 8,500 cusecs of Punjab's river water to Haryana and termed it unconstitutional and a direct attack on the rights of Punjab.
In a statement issued here, he said Punjab does not have surplus water to give to anyone. He said the BBMB's direction to share Punjab's fair share with united Haryana is unacceptable and is a grave injustice to the farmers and future generations of the state.
Mr Sidhu said at a time when the entire nation is mourning the tragic death of innocent people in Pahalgam, Kashmir and demanding strict action against Pakistan, internal conflict is being irresponsibly fuelled between Punjab and Haryana due to mismanagement by our neighbouring state.
Condemning the Centre's unilateral redistribution of Punjab's water without consulting the state government, he said that irrigation by canal water has already reduced by about 4.90 lakh hectares. As per the 2024-25 budget, 114 out of 150 blocks in Punjab have been declared "dark zones" due to rapid depletion of groundwater.
He questioned the Haryana government's silence towards Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on the issue of Yamuna river. A large part of Yamuna's water is used by Delhi and Uttar Pradesh before it reaches Haryana, but Haryana never has to face the brunt of it. Instead, Punjab is being unfairly targeted, putting the livelihood of our farmers at risk.
Accusing the BJP-led Centre and Haryana governments of misusing their powers to pressurise Punjab, he said they were not only tampering with Punjab's water rights but also interfering in administrative matters like appointment of state quota officials, which is unconstitutional and unacceptable.
He warned that the people of Punjab will not remain silent in the face of this injustice and any attempt to plunder the natural resources of Punjab will be strongly opposed. He demanded that BBMB immediately withdraw its decision.