NEW DELHI: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising objections to the waiver of the requirement for a NoC for Himachal Pradesh to draw water from Bhakra and Pong dams.
On May 15, the power ministry directed the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) – which manages Bhakra Nangal and Pong dams reservoirs situated in Himachal Pradesh – to waive the condition of seeking no objection certificate (NoC) for the hill state to draw water for drinking and irrigation purposes.
The direction was issued to the BBMP after the Supreme Court allocated a 7.1 per cent share in the BBMB projects to Himachal Pradesh, granting the state the right to access water from the reservoirs.
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In his letter written on Tuesday, Mann said that the Supreme Court allowed 7.19 per cent share to Himachal Pradesh relating to power but passed no orders regarding “the sharing of water”.
“Moreover, the sharing of water is an inter-state dispute and no unilateral directions can be issued to share the waters by the states,” he argued, adding, “As per the water agreements, no water is required to be allocated to the State of Himachal Pradesh out of the River Sutlej and Beas.”
Chief minister Mann also argued that the BBMB, which was constituted under the Punjab Reorganization Act, is “not authorized” to give “any water out of the rivers to any state other than those who have not been recognized as partners as per the act. “Himachal Pradesh is not a partner state.”
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The scope of the BBMB’s responsibilities is limited to the administration, maintenance, and operation of the dams, reservoirs, and irrigation head works, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said.
He further said that Himachal Pradesh can’t lay any claim on the waters of Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas rivers.
The BBMB, whose ownership is jointly held by partner states including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, operates two major water reservoirs in Himachal Pradesh: Gobind Sagar lake in Bilaspur district and Pong Dam lake in Kangra district.
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