Chandigarh: The Punjab Legislative Assembly took up the state's river-water rights on Tuesday, the final day of the ongoing session, with the government set to move five resolutions covering Punjab's claim to Yamuna waters, control of key irrigation headworks, the Dam Safety Act, royalty for water supplied to Rajasthan and the flow of Ravi river water into Pakistan, according to a report by The Tribune. Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal moved the special resolution on the Yamuna in the House on Tuesday.
Source: The Tribune via Punjab Khabarnama
The Yamuna resolution argues that the state has a historical and legal claim dating back to undivided Punjab, Punjab E News reported. It states that the Yamuna flowed through undivided Punjab before the state's reorganisation in 1966 and cites an agreement between undivided Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in March 1954 which, according to the resolution, entitled Punjab to two-thirds of the river's waters. It argues that while the distribution of Ravi-Beas waters was considered during the 1966 reorganisation, the Yamuna waters were overlooked. These are the resolution's stated arguments, presented here as the government's position.
Source: Punjab E News
What the Yamuna resolution asks for
The resolution also refers to a 1972 irrigation commission report, which it says acknowledged that some areas of present-day Punjab fall within the Yamuna basin, and argues that if Haryana can claim a share of Ravi-Beas waters as a successor state, Punjab should also be recognised as having a claim to Yamuna waters. Punjab was excluded from the agreement signed on 12 May 1994 by Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan for sharing Yamuna waters; the resolution points to Clause 8 of that agreement, which provides for a review after 2025, and calls for Punjab to be included as a beneficiary state in the revised arrangement, with a share drawn from Haryana's allocation.
Source: Punjab E News
A second resolution challenges Section 79(1)(c) of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, under which control of the Ropar, Harike and Ferozepur irrigation headworks was assigned to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). It argues that the provision is unconstitutional and beyond Parliament's legislative competence, contending that water regulation falls under the State List of the Constitution. A third resolution seeks to reaffirm the Assembly's unanimous resolution of 5 May 2025 rejecting the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
Source: Direct Headlines (Tribune report)
Royalty from Rajasthan and Ravi flow to Pakistan
The fourth resolution seeks royalty from Rajasthan for water supplied from the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas rivers, arguing that Punjab should not supply water free of cost and calling on the Rajasthan Government and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti to acknowledge the liability, ensure annual payments and settle the cost of water supplied; it argues Rajasthan is a non-riparian state and should share the financial burden. A similar royalty resolution was passed by the previous Akali-BJP government on 16 November 2016. The fifth resolution addresses the flow of Ravi waters into Pakistan from the Madhopur Headworks, the last headworks on the river in India.
Source: Direct Headlines (Tribune report)
The move follows assurances given earlier this year to farmer organisations, including the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), regarding demands related to interstate water agreements and Punjab's water rights. The Yamuna resolution argues a share is necessary to sustain agriculture and reduce pressure on groundwater; reporting on the resolutions notes groundwater levels are depleted across 72 per cent of the state's blocks, and that Punjab filed a formal complaint on 25 April 2025 seeking a water disputes tribunal to determine its claim to an equitable share of Yamuna waters. At the time this report was prepared, the Yamuna resolution had been moved in the House; the final outcome of all five resolutions will be reported as the proceedings conclude.