Punjab-Haryana Water Dispute Intensifies: Randhawa Declares No Extra Water for Haryana

Punjab and Haryana's water-sharing dispute deepens as Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa asserts Punjab's inability to provide additional water. The ongoing standoff highlights Punjab's water crisis, with officials taking measures to safeguard resources, vital for the state's agrarian economy, amid Haryana's demands for increased allocations.

The water dispute between Punjab and Haryana reached a critical juncture as senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa announced Punjab's inability to supply additional water. Addressing the media, Randhawa emphasized the dire state of Punjab's water resources, citing significant drops in water levels that threaten the state's agricultural stability.

Randhawa reminisced about Punjab's critical role during the Green Revolution, underscoring the state's historic contribution to India's food security. He urged decisive action to safeguard Punjab's agriculture, asserting that the state's prosperity hinges on receiving its full water share, a sentiment echoed amid growing tensions with Haryana.

The friction escalated when Haryana requested 8,500 cusecs from the Bhakra-Nangal project, prompting protests at Nangal Dam led by Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. Highlighting the alarming state of Punjab's groundwater depletion, Bains reiterated the necessity of protecting the state's water, crucial for its agrarian economy, and credited Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for infrastructure improvements.

Amid the standoff, Bains defended Chief Minister Mann's decision not to cede to Haryana's water demands, stressing Punjab's burgeoning water crisis. Meanwhile, Haryana's Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini labeled Mann's refusal as shocking, citing a technical committee's decision to release water to both states, but noted reluctance from Punjab's officials to comply.

(With inputs from agencies.)