Centre directs Punjab to release 4,500 cusecs of water to Haryana for next 8 days

The Centre directed the Punjab Government to implement the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) decision to release an additional 4,500 cusecs of water from Bhakra dam to Haryana for the next eight days to meet its urgent water requirements. This decision was made during a high-level meeting led by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, attended by top officials from the four partner states of BBMB — Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan — as well as BBMB representatives.

It was also agreed that during the dam-filling period, BBMB would provide excess water to Punjab to fulfil any additional requirements, according to official sources.

The meeting was necessitated after Punjab had consistently refused to release water to Haryana, prompting the Centre’s intervention.