Keeping Punjab out of the new arrangement for the Kishau Dam and Upper Yamuna raises serious questions : Giani Harpreet Singh

Keeping Punjab out of the new arrangement for the Kishau Dam and Upper Yamuna raises serious questions : Giani Harpreet Singh

Why has the 1994 arrangement not been reviewed after 2025, with Punjab included in the process?

Chandigarh 17 September ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : President of the Shiromani Akali Dal Punarn-Surjit, Giani Harpreet Singh, has raised serious questions over Punjab being kept out of the decision-making process concerning the Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project. He said the Central Government must clarify why there is no provision for Punjab's representation or consideration of Punjab's interests in the waters of the Upper Yamuna and in new projects associated with it. He said that, according to information available, an agreement concerning the Kishau Multipurpose Project was signed on September 15, 2026, by Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The project is proposed to be constructed on the Tons River, an important tributary of the Yamuna. The project, which is to be funded with 90 percent of its cost by the Centre, will have a storage capacity of approximately 1,562 million cubic metres of water and is expected to provide irrigation, drinking water and power-generation benefits to the participating states. Punjab has not been included among the six states covered by this agreement, even though Haryana and Rajasthan continue to maintain their claims over Punjab's waters.

Giani Harpreet Singh said that Punjab is not demanding that the existing legal rights of any other state be taken away. However, he said the question certainly needs to be asked: if Himachal Pradesh could be included as a co-basin state in the 1994 Upper Yamuna arrangement, with an annual allocation of 0.378 billion cubic metres of water, why has Punjab not been given an opportunity to present its position regarding new storage projects connected with the Upper Yamuna? The 1994 agreement records an allocation of 5.730 BCM for Haryana, 4.032 BCM for Uttar Pradesh, 1.119 BCM for Rajasthan, 0.378 BCM for Himachal Pradesh and 0.724 BCM for Delhi.He said another highly important fact emerges in this matter. The 1994 Upper Yamuna Agreement itself provides that, if requested by a basin state, the arrangement can be reviewed after 2025. It is now 2026. Therefore, the Central Government must clarify whether this arrangement has been reviewed after 2025 and, if not, what the reason is for not carrying out such a review.

Giani Harpreet Singh said Punjab also wants clarification on whether the present riparian status alone is the criterion for determining the role of states in the Upper Yamuna, or whether basin-related, historical, administrative and inter-state considerations are also taken into account. He pointed out that Himachal Pradesh, despite not being a riparian state, has been included as a beneficiary in the agreement. Therefore, Punjab should be clearly informed about the precise geographical and legal criteria under which it has been excluded from the decision-making arrangement concerning the Upper Yamuna. He said that, on the other hand, the historical arrangements concerning the Ravi-Beas waters demonstrate that the allocation of inter-state river waters has not been based solely on present-day river boundaries. According to official figures of the Central Government, the 1981 arrangement recorded the allocation of 17.17 MAF of surplus Ravi-Beas waters as follows: 4.22 MAF to Punjab, 3.50 MAF to Haryana, 8.60 MAF to Rajasthan, 0.20 MAF to Delhi and 0.65 MAF to Jammu and Kashmir.

Giani Harpreet Singh said that Haryana's share in the Ravi-Beas waters has been considered in the context of the legal and inter-state arrangements that came into existence following the reorganisation of Punjab. Therefore, Punjab has the right to ask why, when historical and reorganisation-related factors can be considered in one river system, basin relationships are being denied consideration in another river system. He said that another important development in this context is that, in an understanding reached under the leadership of the Central Government in June 2026, it was agreed that Himachal Pradesh's share of water would be allocated to Delhi and Rajasthan, while the cost of Himachal Pradesh's power component would be borne in return. This clearly demonstrates that inter-state arrangements concerning water and project costs in the Yamuna basin can be modified and determined through mutual agreement.

Giani Harpreet Singh said that when an arrangement can be made to utilise Himachal Pradesh's share of water for Delhi and Rajasthan, what difficulty is there in bringing Punjab to the table so that its interests can also be considered? Punjab is only demanding that wherever new storage projects are affecting the future management of river waters, Punjab's voice should also be heard. He said that if the 1994 Upper Yamuna Agreement is open for review after 2025, the Central Government should make the review process public and provide representatives of Punjab an opportunity to present their position. The Punjab Government should raise this demand forcefully.

Giani Harpreet Singh said that Punjab should be given an official opportunity to present its position in discussions concerning future policy related to the Upper Yamuna, new storage projects and water allocation. He said that Punjab's rights and interests cannot be considered settled or extinguished without hearing its position in any new river-water arrangement. The criteria governing inter-state river waters must be uniform, transparent and equitable.