Chandigarh, October 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday asserted that the state would not surrender even a single drop of its rightful share of river water, as the Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution asserting Punjab’s water rights on the final day of its 13th session. Declaring that the state was prepared to fight for its rights in courts and on the streets, Mann questioned Rajasthan’s continued use of Punjab’s river water without royalty payments and put Punjab’s outstanding royalty claim at approximately ₹1.43 lakh crore to ₹1.44 lakh crore. He also maintained that Rajasthan and Haryana had no share in the waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers.
Participating in discussions on resolutions concerning river waters and other important issues, the Chief Minister said Punjab would no longer tolerate injustice in the distribution of its precious water resources.
“Water is a state subject, and the control of headworks rests with the states. Punjab will vigorously pursue its legitimate rights and will not allow the state’s interests to be sacrificed,” Mann said.
Questioning Haryana’s claim over Ravi-Beas waters, Mann said it was unfair that Haryana sought a share in these waters while Punjab’s claim to its equitable share in Yamuna waters was being ignored. He argued that the Yamuna was also part of undivided Punjab.
The Chief Minister also highlighted his government’s efforts to strengthen the state’s irrigation infrastructure and expand canal water access to agricultural fields. He said that when his government assumed office in 2022, canal water was available to only 22 per cent of fields, whereas access had increased to nearly 80 per cent over the subsequent four years.
“We have undertaken an extensive overhaul of Punjab’s irrigation network to ensure that canal water reaches even the tail-end fields. By cleaning rajbahas, laying 14,000 kilometres of pipelines and rejuvenating canals and watercourses, we have strengthened the irrigation system and improved access to water for farmers,” he said.
Mann said the government had revived the Kandi Canal after nearly four decades and operationalised eight new canals in Pathankot, Amritsar and Gurdaspur. These initiatives, he added, had helped bring 60.80 lakh acres of land under irrigation through the government’s efforts.
“Our commitment is to ensure that every drop counts, strengthen agriculture and provide much-needed relief to farmers,” he said.
Raising the issue of royalty for river waters supplied to Rajasthan, Mann said Punjab had received royalty on its river waters until 1960, after which the payments stopped. He argued that Rajasthan continued to receive water from Punjab without paying royalty and used it for economic gain, including supplying it to industries.
“Punjab has a legitimate claim to ₹1.44 lakh crore in royalties for its river waters. Rajasthan continues to receive water from Punjab free of cost and uses it for economic benefit. The people of Punjab, particularly our farmers, have made immense sacrifices to feed the nation. They cannot be expected to accept discrimination when it comes to their own natural resources,” the Chief Minister said.
Mann also called for a rethink of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, suggesting that it should instead be called the Yamuna-Sutlej Link and that Punjab should receive Haryana’s surplus water, reiterating his government’s position on the state’s water rights.
The Chief Minister said Punjab would pursue every legitimate legal and constitutional avenue to protect its water resources and secure justice for its people. He maintained that safeguarding the state’s river waters was essential to protecting agriculture, farmers’ livelihoods and Punjab’s long-term interests.
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