Chandigarh: On the concluding day of what is being seen as the last session of the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP govt before the 2027 Assembly elections, the Punjab Assembly is scheduled to take up five resolutions centred on the state’s river-water rights, control of key irrigation headworks, the Dam Safety Act, 2021, and the recovery of water charges from Rajasthan.The resolutions seek to reinforce Punjab’s position on long-standing inter-state water disputes, with the state govt asserting that its dwindling water resources and growing agricultural requirements warrant a reassessment of existing arrangements.One of the resolutions seeks recognition of Punjab’s claim to a share in Yamuna waters, arguing that the river flowed through undivided Punjab before the state’s reorganisation in 1966. It cites a 1954 agreement between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, under which Punjab was entitled to two-thirds of the Yamuna waters, and seeks a review of the 1994 memorandum of understanding on Yamuna water-sharing. The resolution calls on the Centre to decide Punjab’s complaint, filed in April 2025, seeking the constitution of an appropriate tribunal.Another resolution seeks the transfer of administrative control of the Ropar, Harike and Ferozepur irrigation headworks to the Punjab govt. It argues that the structures lie entirely within the state’s territory and that their operation is crucial for flood management and public safety. The state has challenged Sections 78 and 79 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, before the Supreme Court, where the matter remains pending. The resolution urges the Centre to amend the law to ensure permanent state control over the headworks.The Assembly is also set to reiterate its opposition to the Dam Safety Act, 2021, which it had previously sought to have repealed through a unanimous resolution passed on May 5, 2025. The latest resolution maintains that the legislation encroaches on the constitutional powers of states over water resources and dams located within their territorial boundaries, and demands its immediate repeal.A fourth resolution targets the long-standing supply of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej waters to Rajasthan. It argues that Punjab, despite facing severe groundwater depletion, has continued to supply water to Rajasthan without receiving payment. The state govt has issued notices seeking payment, including a demand notice dated August 10, 2026. The resolution calls on Rajasthan to acknowledge its liability and pay the amount claimed by Punjab, while urging the Centre to establish a mechanism for annual payments in future.The fifth resolution seeks to clarify Punjab’s position on water flowing into Pakistan through the Ravi downstream of the Madhopur headworks. It maintains that much of this flow originates from streams rising in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Ujh, Tarnah and Basantar, which join the Ravi downstream of Madhopur. Citing an average annual downstream flow of 0.62 million acre-feet during 2016-25, the resolution argues that the water cannot be stored or diverted within Punjab under existing conditions. It urges the Centre to expedite the Ujh Multipurpose Project and approve the second Ravi-Beas Link Project to facilitate greater utilisation of available water.
