Mere 4.7-ft drop in Bhakra level on additional release of water for 8 days: BBMB
The Bhakra Beas Management Board's (BBMB) April 30 resolution says that there will be a mere 4.70 ft drop in the Bhakra reservoir, assuming nil inflows, on additional 4,500 cusec release of water to Haryana for eight days.
During the last five years, Haryana has been getting about 8,000 cusecs during April and about 9,500 cusecs during May from the reservoir, according to the board. With the present inflow pattern, the Bhakra levels, as of May 20, 2025, i.e at the end of depletion period, will be between 1,540-1,545 ft, which will be higher than the long-term average levels on that date, and will also be higher than the minimum level decided by the Technical Committee Meeting, which is 1,506 ft.
The BBMB also informed that the minimum draw-down level (MDDL) for Bhakra is 1,462 ft.
It was also intimated during the April 30 meeting that water releases decided during the Technical Committee Meeting are based upon many factors, such as balance share quota, needs of states, storage available, monsoon predictions, etc.
BBMB Chairman Manoj Tripathi also said the board had faced similar situations of Bhakra levels earlier also, and last such situation was in 2021.
On April 23, the board had decided to release 8,500 cusecs at Haryana Contact Points from April 24 to May 1. However, Punjab did not follow it, as it did not place indent to the BBMB.
The board, on April 30, has now resolved to release 8,500 cusecs from May 1 for eight days, without placing indent by Punjab “as a one-time exception/relaxation”. Of the released water, 500 cusecs will go to Rajasthan and 496 cusecs to Delhi.
Tripathi asked Haryana to place the indent directly to the BBMB, with a copy to Punjab and Rajasthan for revised releases. Haryana will ensure releases to Rajasthan and Delhi to resolve drinking water crisis in Rajasthan and submit a daily report to the BBMB after compliance, the resolution stated.
Punjab, however, has recorded in its objections that 8,500 cusecs decided for Haryana was more than sufficient to cater to the drinking water needs of a population of about 15 crore, whereas the population of Haryana was only around 3 crore. It meant that Haryana wanted to utilise 8,500 cusecs for irrigation, which Punjab could ill afford to share at the cost of its own farmers, particularly when the groundwater level within the state was depleting fast, it added.
It pointed out that the reservoir level of the Pong Dam was around 32 ft lower, and the reservoir level of the Ranjit Sagar Dam was around 17 ft lower than previous year levels. Due to the maintenance of the Pong Dam, no water was likely to be stored for the next 45 days, and thus situation could become critical during the paddy season, it claimed.
The board Chairman recorded that he would try to look after the needs of Punjab during the filling period.
On April 29, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini had accused Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann of twisting facts for political gains in Punjab.
Reservoir level
As on April 24, according to the Central Water Commission, Bhakra reservoir was filled up to 20.71 per cent of full reservoir level (FRL), while last year, it was filled up to 25.14 per cent on that date. The normal storage of reservoir is 29.46 per cent as on April 24, which is an average of the last 10 years.
