The Punjab Government has filed a petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, requesting the recall of its earlier order dated May 6, which directed Punjab to comply with the Central Government’s decision to release Bhakra Dam water to Haryana.

The court’s order was based on a meeting held on May 2, chaired by the Union Home Secretary, which instructed Punjab to release an additional 4,500 cusecs of water to Haryana over eight days to address emergency water needs.

In its application, the Punjab Government strongly disputed the Home Secretary’s authority to issue directives on water allocation, arguing that the Union Home Secretary is not the competent authority under the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) Rules. Punjab further stated that the May 2 meeting was primarily focused on law and order concerns, not water distribution, and therefore, could not have been legally authorized to decide on water allocation matters.

The Punjab Government also claimed that the BBMB had withheld a request from Haryana to refer the issue to the Central Government under Rule 7 of the BBMB Rules (1974).

Referring to Article 262 of the Constitution, Punjab argued that any interstate water dispute must be resolved through the Inter-State Water Disputes Act of 1956, which mandates the formation of a Water Tribunal to adjudicate such matters. The state emphasized that releasing water without formal consent could escalate the issue into a water dispute, which can only be legally settled through the proper legal framework.

Punjab has urged the High Court to review or modify its previous direction, arguing that key facts were not fully disclosed during the initial hearing, which may have impacted the court’s decision.