Punjab and Haryana Water Dispute: Central Government Deploys CISF for Security

The water dispute between Punjab and Haryana has escalated, prompting the central government to deploy 296 CISF personnel for security at the Bhakra Dam. Amid ongoing tensions, the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab has ended its protest against water release to Haryana. The Bhakra Beas Management Board has allocated specific water quotas to each state, but conflicts over usage continue. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has urged Haryana to use water wisely, highlighting the complexities of the ongoing situation. Read on for more details about this critical issue.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 22, 2025, 09:41 IST

Ongoing Water Dispute Between Punjab and Haryana

The water conflict between Punjab and Haryana has been at a standstill for quite some time. To prevent any issues between the two states, the central government has taken proactive measures.

In light of the ongoing deadlock regarding the distribution of water from the Bhakra Dam, the central government has approved the deployment of a contingent of 296 personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to provide anti-terrorism security for the dam. Official sources confirmed this information on Wednesday.

According to reports, the Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed that security forces be stationed at the dam located in Nangal, near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border, based on a threat assessment prepared by central intelligence and security agencies.

Security Measures and Water Distribution Updates

Sources indicated that the deployment of the 296 CISF personnel aims to protect the Bhakra Dam from any potential disturbances or terrorist threats. Meanwhile, officials announced that water has been released from the Bhakra-Nangal Dam to Haryana following the commencement of the new water distribution cycle on Wednesday.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab has ended its protest against the increased water release to Haryana, which had been ongoing for the past 20 days. The conflict over water sharing continues, with the AAP government refusing to share water from the Bhakra Dam, arguing that Haryana has already utilized its share.

Haryana had requested 8,500 cusecs of water, but Punjab has only permitted 4,000 cusecs on humanitarian grounds.

Recent Decisions by Bhakra Beas Management Board

Last week, the Bhakra Beas Management Board decided that Punjab would receive 17,000 cusecs, Haryana 10,300 cusecs, and Rajasthan 12,400 cusecs of water. Punjab opposed Haryana's demand for 10,300 cusecs of water starting from May 21, deeming it impractical given the capacity of the Bhakra Main Line (BML) canal and its own needs.

During a victory rally in Nangal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that water would start flowing to Haryana from Wednesday. He urged Haryana officials to use water judiciously and not to expect more from Punjab. Mann noted that in the previous water cycle, Haryana was allocated 15.06 lakh cusecs but utilized 16.48 lakh cusecs.