Punjab had okayed CISF deployment at Bhakra Dam in 2021 BBMB meeting
The Punjab Government had given its nod to the deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the Bhakra Dam project in a full board meeting held in 2021. The meeting was attended by junior-level officers from Punjab.
Sources here said initially the decision was taken to deploy 400 CISF personnel. However, after Punjab and Himachal Pradesh objected to retrenchment of their security staff from BBMB, the board decided to go for the hybrid security mode which comprised CISF personnel and the police from both states. With this, the CISF personnel to be sent to BBMB were cut down to 296.
Main line canal to carry 11,700 cusecs
Chandigarh: The Bhakra Main Line canal will start carrying water from the Nangal dam to its optimum capacity of 11,700 cusecs by Friday. However, this will still not ensure that Haryana gets 10,300 cusecs of water it has demanded till May 31. This is because Punjab will first utilse 3,000 cusecs in its territory, while 469 cusecs will go to Delhi and 650 cusecs to Rajasthan. As a result, only 7,590 cusecs will be left for Haryana.
Now, Punjab has opposed the CISF deployment in BBMB projects. The sources said the CISF deployment was not going to affect the Punjab Police, but their Himachal Pradesh counterpart. They added the Punjab Government had just 15 policemen deployed in the Nangal township area and at the dam.
The onus of security of the Bhakra Dam and other BBMB dams was with the Himachal Police. At present, over 200 Himachal Police personnel are posted in BBMB for security of dams, which are located within the territorial jurisdiction of the state.
Himachal Police personnel are posted right on the boundary of the state on the road leading to Bhakra Dam. They register the details of every vehicle and person going towards the dam. The Punjab Police are posted on the border along Himachal. Some industrialists located in Bilaspur district have objected to the Punjab Police's check post alleging harassment. They said there was no need for the Punjab Police's check post when the security of the dam was with the Himachal cops.
The sources said as per the proposal, CISF personnel will replace the Himachal Police at Bhakra and other dam heads. The 15 Punjab police personal posted at Bhakra Dam would be re-posted at other at Ganguwal and Nakkian power projects of BBMB and other vital bridges over the canal, sources said.
The sources here further said all 296 CISF personnel would be settled in Nangal township. The BBMB authorities have been asked to arrange for the residences of the CISF personnel.
