CHANDIGARH: The Centre on Friday directed the Punjab government to implement the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) decision to release an additional 4,500 cusecs of water from the Bhakra dam to Haryana in the next eight days to meet the urgent water needs of the state.
This was announced after a meeting held under the chairmanship of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan in Delhi to discuss the implementation of the BBMB decision.
It was also agreed that during the filling period of dams, the BBMB will provide excess water to Punjab to fulfill their additional requirements.
The BBMB will immediately convene a meeting of the board to work out the modalities of implementing the release of extra water to Haryana.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Union government, the BBMB partner states -- Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan -- and the BBMB.
The meeting was necessitated after Punjab had consistently refused to release water to Haryana, prompting the Centre’s intervention.