The raging water dispute between Punjab and Haryana has irked the High Court, which pointed out today that while India has decided to take measures against Pakistan, states within the country "should not be doing the same against each other".
"We are doing this to our enemy country. Let us not do this within our States," said Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, who was part of the two-judge bench with Justice Sumeet Goel.
Punjab has refused to release water to Haryana, passing a resolution in the state assembly that vows not to spare even a single drop of water from its share.
The state subsequently has taken over of the Nangal dam, accusing the BJP government of Haryana of trying to cut off its water supply after a decision was taken to release additional water to Haryana. Punjab has now deployed additional police personnel at the dam.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court took exception to the dispute today, while hearing a petition by the Bhakra Beas Management Board or BBMB.
The BBMB has sought intervention against the alleged takeover of the Nangal dam by Punjab.
"The reservoir is going to overflow and the downstream states are going to go dry," said senior advocate Rajesh Garg representing the BBMB.
The row over water sharing started after AAP-ruled Punjab refused to release more water to BJP-ruled Haryana, claiming the latter has "already used 103 per cent of its allocated share of water by March".
The Supreme Court today directed the Punjab and Haryana governments to cooperate with the Centre and resolve the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal row.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih said, "We direct both states to cooperate with the Union of India in arriving at an amicable solution".
