Haryana Switch to Hindi
Water Sharing Issues
Why in News?
Punjab and Haryana clashed over water sharing after the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) decided to release water to Haryana.
Key Points
- BBMB Decides to Release Water to Haryana:
- On April 30, the BBMB decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana.
- The decision followed Haryana's demand for drinking water amid rising summer needs.
- BBMB manages water from Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams, supplying Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan for irrigation and other uses.
- Punjab's Allegations on Water Share Misuse:
- According to Punjab Chief Minister, Haryana exhausted its annual water quota (May 21–May 20 cycle) by March 2025.
- He accused Haryana of now trying to grab extra water at Punjab’s expense.
- He said Punjab holds a 60% stake in BBMB, and releasing water without its consent is "dictatorial and undemocratic."
Bhakra Nangal Dam
- Bhakra Dam is a concrete gravity dam across the Sutlej River and is near the border between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in northern India.
- It is India’s second tallest at 225.55 m high next to the 261m Tehri Dam.
- Its reservoir, known as the “Gobind Sagar”, stores up to 9.34 billion cubic meters of water.
- Nangal dam is another dam downstream of Bhakra dam. Sometimes both the dams together are called Bhakra-Nangal dam though they are two separate dams.
Pong Dam
- In 1975, Pong dam was built across the Beas River. It is also called the Pong reservoir or the Maharana Pratap Sagar.
- In 1983, the entire reservoir was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary by the Himachal Pradesh government.
- In 1994, the Government of India declared it a “Wetland of National Importance”. Pong Dam Lake was declared as Ramsar Site in November 2002.