Saturday, March 29, 2025
Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goel sparked a sharp debate in the Punjab Assembly by attacking the Dam Safety Act. He said the law directly weakens Punjab’s authority over its water resources.
Speaking during a special Assembly session, Goel addressed Punjab’s deepening water crisis. He made it clear that the state cannot spare even a drop of water for Haryana due to its own severe shortage.
Goel mentioned that Punjab had earlier provided 4,000 cusecs of water to Haryana as a goodwill gesture. That supply, he said, would continue. But he rejected Haryana’s current demand of 8,500 cusecs. Punjab cannot meet that request without harming its own needs, he explained.
He also called the Dam Safety Act an attack on state rights. Goel demanded that the central government repeal it immediately. He said the House stood united in asking for the law’s withdrawal.
Leader of the Opposition, Pratap Singh Bajwa, responded by calling for statewide unity. He said Punjab must raise a clear voice across the nation to say it has no surplus water to share.
“This fight demands unity,” Bajwa said. “We stand with you. Let’s face this challenge with full strength.”
