Chandigarh (National Times): In a dramatic turn in the escalating water conflict, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has taken legal action against the Punjab Government, accusing it of a forceful and unconstitutional occupation of the Nangal Bhakra Dam using state police forces.
Filing a petition in the High Court, BBMB has demanded the immediate removal of Punjab Police deployed in the vicinity of the Bhakra Nangal headworks, calling their presence a “blatant overreach.”
BBMB alleges that Punjab Police personnel have occupied key installations at the dam site, disrupting BBMB’s authority and compromising the neutrality of a central water management body that serves multiple states.
The petition strongly condemns Punjab’s actions, labeling them as an illegal grab of federal infrastructure and a violation of constitutional norms. “The Punjab Government, under the guise of security, has taken operational control of the dam without legal sanction,” the BBMB claimed.
This legal move is likely to intensify the ongoing water and jurisdictional battle, especially after the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution against the release of water to Haryana and alleged interference by BBMB. Now, BBMB has fired back, putting the matter squarely in the hands of the judiciary.
As political tensions rise and interstate water disputes grow more contentious, all eyes will be on the High Court’s upcoming hearing and its potential implications for regional governance and dam control in North India.
