Punjab’s New Water Warrior: CM Bhagwant Mann Vows to Protect State’s Waters as Fiercely as Its Borders
Nangal (Rupnagar), May 21,
A Fierce Stand on Water Rights
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, addressing a victory rally in Nangal on May 21, 2025, declared that the state government will raise the issue of reconstituting the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) at the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting on Saturday. Mann announced his intent to discuss this critical matter in the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, emphasizing the need to review water-sharing agreements every 25 years due to fluctuating water levels.
BBMB: A Tool of Exploitation
Mann launched a scathing attack on the BBMB, accusing it of becoming a “puppet” of the central government and Haryana, conspiring to loot Punjab’s rightful share of water. He revealed that the BBMB took ₹32 crore from Punjab for its projects but failed to return a single rupee. Additionally, Punjab is owed ₹142 crore by the BBMB, a claim the state government plans to pursue aggressively. Mann also pointed out that 3,000 posts allocated to Punjab in the BBMB have been deliberately left vacant to weaken the state’s influence, a situation he vowed to rectify swiftly to safeguard Punjab’s interests.
Punjab’s Water Crisis and Resilience
The Chief Minister highlighted Punjab’s role as a landlocked border state that has overexploited its water and soil resources to feed the nation. He condemned the BBMB for its role in diverting Punjab’s water to other states, particularly noting an incident where the BBMB Chairman visited Nangal to facilitate the diversion of water to Haryana, which had already exhausted its share by March 2025. However, Mann praised the resilient farmers and people of Punjab for thwarting these attempts, stating, “If we can protect a 532 km border with Pakistan, we can protect our waters too.” He recalled how Punjabis stood firm for 20 days, preventing Haryana and the Centre from taking even a single drop of the state’s water.
Historical Betrayals and Political Games
Mann accused previous governments—Congress, Akali Dal, and BJP—of betraying Punjab by prioritizing personal gains over the state’s water rights. He cited examples of a former Chief Minister securing a plot in Gurgaon (now hosting a hotel) for supporting the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and another former CM presenting a silver spade for the SYL groundbreaking ceremony at Kapoori. Mann criticized the BBMB for using Punjab’s funds to fight legal battles against the state and for paying employees of other states who work against Punjab’s interests, calling the board a “white elephant” that is no longer acceptable in its current form.
watch…..Punjab Government’s Historic Rs. 242 Crore SC Scholarship Disbursement
No Surplus Water to Share
Mann firmly stated that Punjab has no surplus water to share, with 60% of its farmlands relying on canal irrigation. He rejected Haryana’s demands for more water, questioning, “How can we give water to Haryana when our own fields are parched?” Despite this, Mann noted Punjab’s generosity in providing 4,000 cusecs of water to Haryana for drinking purposes on April 6, 2025, as an act of virtue in line with Sikh teachings. However, he proposed the Yamuna Satluj Link (YSL) as an alternative, advocating for water from the Ganga and Yamuna to be supplied to Punjab through the Satluj, given the river’s depleted state.
A Call for Justice
Mann criticized the disproportionate allocation of water to Haryana, a smaller state, and the neglect of Punjab’s needs. He also pointed out the BBMB’s failure to maintain townships like Nangal, which have deteriorated due to neglect. The Chief Minister reaffirmed Punjab’s historical sacrifices, from defending the nation’s borders to fighting for its water rights, and urged for a fair reconstitution of the BBMB to protect the state’s interests.
Event Highlights
The rally was attended by Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who welcomed the Chief Minister and other dignitaries, and Cabinet Minister Barinder Goyal, who expressed gratitude to all attendees for their participation in this significant event.
