Chandigarh, Nov 18: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday reiterated that Punjab cannot spare water for Haryana at a time when the state itself is facing acute scarcity. Questioning long-standing agreements, he said water-sharing arrangements must be revisited to reflect present-day realities.
“When we have no water, how will we give it to Haryana? Why can’t Yamuna water be diverted to Haryana and the SYL converted to YSL (Yamuna Sutlej Link)?” Mann asked, referring to the decades-long Sutlej Yamuna Link dispute.
The chief minister said he had conveyed Punjab’s concerns firmly during the Northern Zonal Council meeting on Monday, where water-related items dominated the 11 Punjab-specific issues listed on the agenda. He noted that every neighbouring state was pressing Punjab to cede water or administrative ground while ignoring the state’s own vulnerabilities as a border region.
Mann said he told the Centre that a sustainable solution lay in exploring the diversion of Chenab waters toward Punjab and downstream states, especially after the Indus Waters Treaty was placed in abeyance. He added that Punjab had sought central assistance for desilting major reservoirs—including Harike, Ranjit Sagar Dam and Bhakra Dam—to help improve storage and flow.
The chief minister emphasised that Punjab’s agricultural and security responsibilities made it imperative for the Centre to reconsider traditional allocations. “Punjab continues to feed the nation and guard the borders, yet it is asked to surrender its limited resources,” he said, calling for a re-evaluation of water-sharing frameworks across northern states.
