Members of Kirti Kisan Union staged a protest against Ravi and Beas Waters Tribunal, blocking traffic on the busy Ropar-Anandpur Sahib road near Bunga Sahib. This led to disruption of vehicular movement for several hours. The protest coincided with the scheduled visit of the tribunal to Nangal in Ropar district. The traffic blockage extended from Bunga Sahib to Ropar, about 30 km, with members of the tribunal also trapped in the blockade.
SSP Ropar, Maninder Singh, said that efforts were being made to lift the blockade. Raising slogans against the state government and the tribunal, protesters gathered in large numbers early in the day and placed barricades on the road, halting traffic on both sides. Commuters, including office-goers and school buses, were seen stranded as police diverted vehicles through alternative routes to ease congestion. A heavy police presence was deployed at the site to maintain law and order.
Union leaders said the protest was aimed at opposing the proceedings and recommendations linked to the tribunal, which they alleged could adversely affect Punjab farmers’ rights over river waters. They claimed that the farming community was not adequately consulted in matters concerning inter-state water allocation.
The tribunal was constituted under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act to adjudicate disputes related to the sharing of waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers among Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. The tribunal examines historical agreements, existing utilisation patterns, and projected future needs before making its determinations. Its proceedings are closely watched in Punjab, where river water sharing remains a politically and emotionally sensitive issue.
The issue is intertwined with the long-pending Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute and earlier water-sharing arrangements between the states. Farmer organisations have consistently expressed apprehension that any allocation perceived as reducing Punjab’s share would further strain the state’s already stressed agricultural economy.
The tribunal’s visit to Nangal was part of its effort to understand ground realities and review infrastructure linked to water regulation and distribution. Nangal, located near the Bhakra-Nangal project, is strategically significant in the region’s irrigation and hydropower network. The Bhakra-Nangal project, built on the Sutlej river, plays a vital role in supplying irrigation water and electricity to northern states.
Though the tribunal specifically deals with the waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers, the interconnected canal systems and storage structures in the region make Nangal an important site for field assessment.
Kirti Kisan Union leaders stated that farmers in Punjab are already grappling with falling groundwater tables, rising input costs, and uncertain canal water supply. They warned that any decision by the tribunal that undermines Punjab’s claim over river waters would be strongly opposed. “Punjab’s farmers cannot afford to lose even a drop of water. We demand justice and transparency,” a union representative said while addressing the gathering.
The union also demanded that farmer bodies be given a formal platform to present their concerns before the tribunal. District officials urged farmer organisations to pursue dialogue to lift the blockade, but it continued till the filing of this report