CHANDIGARH: Amid the ongoing stand-off between Punjab and Haryana over water sharing, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday questioned the silence of the Union government on the issue. He also urged the Centre to instruct the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab not to obstruct Haryana’s water allocation.Surjewala questioned why the Narendra Modi-led NDA government is not issuing written orders to the Mann government under Article 257 of the Constitution, which deals with the control of the Union over states in certain cases. “Why is it not giving directions to ensure Haryana’s water is not stopped?” he asked.The senior Congress leader alleged that since the assembly elections in Punjab are scheduled for 2027, the BJP is deliberately maintaining silence and avoiding action. According to him, the BJP is trying to portray Bhagwant Mann as a hero in order to prevent the Congress from coming to power in Punjab at any cost.“A controversy was deliberately created over the water from the Bhakra Nangal Dam, although it was entirely avoidable,” Surjewala claimed. “The fact is that the water level in the dam currently stands at 1,556 feet. As per the parameters, the water level should be maintained at a minimum of 1,506 feet. If 8,500 cusecs of water is supplied daily to Haryana, by May 21 the level would still be at 1,532 feet—well above the minimum required level. So, what objection can any state have in such a situation? Yet objections are being fabricated to help the BJP support the sinking ship of Mann,” he alleged.
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