Punjab Water Resources Minister Mr Barinder Kumar Goyal today lashed out at the Centre and held the Government of India responsible for worsening the worst floods in Punjab in 37 years.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan here, the Cabinet Minister said if the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) had released water on time in June, the devastation could have been reduced to a great extent. The Cabinet Minister also regretted that despite lakhs of people in Punjab being affected by floods, the Prime Minister has not even issued a statement on this grave situation, let alone providing any assistance to the state.Expressing concern over Haryana’s attitude, the Cabinet Minister alleged that while on one hand Haryana is sending letters offering help, on the other hand it has also written that Haryana’s share of 7,900 cusecs of water during this monsoon should be reduced to 6,250 cusecs so that its canal system and population can be protected from the brunt of floods.He said that in this way Haryana has left Punjab to its fate. He further said that despite repeated requests, BBMB has failed to release the required water from the dams in the month of June. He said that if the required water had been released from the dams, it could have helped in reducing the impact of floods in Punjab.
The Minister further said that a private company “Level 19 Biz Private Limited”, which assessed the structural capacity of the gates of Madhopur Headworks in the year 2024, had stated in its report that the said gates are capable of managing 6.25 lakh cusecs of water, which proved to be completely wrong. He said that the gates failed to manage even half of the certified capacity, due to which their collapse led to floods as well as the tragic death of a department employee. Shri Goyal said that this serious mistake not only led to gross negligence but also worsened the situation. He said that a strict notice has been issued to the concerned company and necessary action is being taken.
