Former Main Minister Haryana and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hood to address the media. Photo file Photo Credit: Neither
Amid the OnGoing Tussle Between Punjab and Haryana Over the Release of Water from the Bhakra and Pong Dams Managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Opposition Leaders in Haryana on Wednesday accused The Sutlej-Yamuna Link (Syl) Canal Project, Aimed at Effective Allocation of Water Between the Two States.
Reaching a press conference in Rohtak, the leader of Congress and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hood, criticized the BJP for “the inability to protect Haryan’s interests” on Syl. “Although the Supreme Court issued a judgment in favor of Haryana on Syl, the government has not been able to obtain water to this day.” Mr. Hooda said.
He also criticized the silence of the BJP on this matter and noted that despite the third period of the party in power in the state and Wednesday, no progress was made. He suggested that the Haryana government convened a meeting of all parties and a special meeting of the assembly to discuss this issue.
Mr. Hooda also claimed that the state government could not register any objection when Haryana officials were not appointed to BBMB. He argued that Syl and Dadupur-Nalvi projects were stopped during the BJP’s possession.
The Syl project was expected to be a 214 km channel, with 122 km built in Pandjab and the remaining 92 km in Haryana. While Haryana completed his part of the project, Punjab, which initiated construction in 1982, postponed it.
‘Modi govt. to blame ‘
The Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala in post X accused Narendra Modi’s government for a crisis. “The Modi government has the biggest hand in creating the whole crisis,” he said.
“Modi Government, its Minister of power Manohar Lal and Minister of CR irrigation Patil left two states, Haryan and Pandjab, fight, and Lidst of Haryana to suffer in this conflict in this conflict,” he read the post.
Mr. Surjewala stressed that the decision to release water was BBMB, and neither the Pandjab government nor Haryan could make this decision.
On Tuesday, Pandjab’s main Minister Bhagwant Mann refused to release more water into Haryana and said that the neighboring state had already used 103% of its assigned share. Mr. Mann accused the BJP of exerting pressure on the Pandjab government through the BBMB to meet the demand of Haryana.
Inld organize protests
Meanwhile, the Indian National Lok Dal (InLD) also threatened to go to the streets on this matter, while President Haryan Rampal Majra announced protests at the district’s level planned from 5 to 7 May. “He said the protests in the Ambala Zone 5 May, May 6, and of May 7,” he said.
“The memorandum will be submitted to the center and we will also demand the appointment of a member from Haryana to BBMB,” he said.
Mr. Majra also suggested that Minister Haryana Nayab Saini joined the center to solve the problem of water and criticize the congress to maintain silence on this matter.
Published – April 30, 2025 21:38
