Haryana has raised fresh concerns over its share of river waters and written to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), apprehending that it may not receive its due quota from the Beas river in the ongoing cycle. In a copy of letter available with The Tribune, the state has pointed to reduced diversion of water from the Beas to the Sutlej through the Beas–Sutlej Link (BSL) project as a key reason behind the shortfall.
In its communication, Haryana said that releases from the BSL have remained at low since March 4, indicating that enough water has not been discharged towards the Sutlej during this period. This, the state argued, has effectively reduced the Beas share of water to Haryana through the Bhakra system, raising fears of receiving less than its allocated share.
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Sources indicated that the reduced discharge through the BSL is linked to technical issues at the Dehar power house, a crucial component of the diversion system. Only two out of the six turbines at the Dehar project are currently operational, significantly limiting the transfer water from the Beas basin to the Sutlej. The BBMB has attributed the problem to ageing infrastructure, stating that the Dehar power house, which is over four decades old, requires urgent overhauling.
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Officials said the BBMB has already engaged the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) to provide consultancy services for the renovation and modernisation of the turbines. The repair and overhaul process is expected to take time, during which the diversion capacity may remain constrained.
Despite Haryana’s concerns, the BBMB officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity sought to allay fears by asserting that there is sufficient water available in the Bhakra Dam reservoir to meet the requirements of all partner states. The Board officials maintained that water supply to Haryana would not be affected and that the situation is being managed within the available resources.
However, Haryana remains cautious. Officials in the state have pointed out that dependence solely on stored water in the Bhakra reservoir may not be sufficient in case of inter-state disagreements. They cited last year’s situation when objections from Punjab over the release of water from the Sutlej created uncertainty for downstream allocations.
Haryana has emphasized that uninterrupted diversion of Beas waters into the Sutlej system is crucial for maintaining its share. The state currently relies on existing canal systems and can carry only about 1.62 million acre-feet (MAF) of water, making it highly dependent on timely and adequate releases through the BBMB network.
Water sharing among BBMB partner states — Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan is governed by the Bhakra Nangal Agreement of 1966 and the Ravi-Beas Agreement of 1982. Under these agreements, Haryana is entitled to 32.31 percent of Sutlej waters and 21 percent of Ravi and Beas waters.
The BBMB’s canal network plays a critical role in distributing water across states. Water released from the Bhakra dam flows through the Bhakra Main Line canal, also known as the Nangal Hydel Channel, reaching Haryana through outlets such as the Sonda Head and further into the Nirwana branch canal. Haryana also supplies around 500 cusecs of drinking water to Delhi through this system.
Meanwhile, waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers are regulated through the Harike headworks, from where they are distributed to Punjab and Rajasthan via an extensive canal network, including the Rajasthan feeder and the Upper Bari Doab Canal system