New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired a high-level meeting on Friday, which advised to carry out the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s decision to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water from Bhakra dams to Haryana for the next eight days to meet the state’s urgent water requirements.

It was also agreed that during the filling period of the dams, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMP) will provide this excess water to Punjab to fulfil any additional requirements of the state, an official release said.

The meeting was convened to discuss the issue of implementing BBMB’s decision to release extra 4,500 cusecs of water to Haryana for eight days to meet the urgent water needs of the state and some parts of Rajasthan.

Senior officials of the Government of India, the partner states of BBMB — Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana — and representatives from the BBMB attended the meeting.

“The matter was discussed/deliberated and it was advised to carry out the decision of the BBMB to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water from the Bhakra dams to Haryana for the next eight days to meet their urgent water requirements.

“It was also agreed that during the filling period of the dams, the BBMB will provide this excess water to Punjab to fulfil their any additional requirements,” the release said.

The BBMB will immediately convene a meeting of its board to work out the modalities for the release of extra water to Haryana, it said.

Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are partnering states that meet their water requirements from Bhakra and Pong dams managed by the BBMB.

The BBMB decides the annual quota of water supply to the three states for a yearly cycle from May 21 to May 21 each year.

A fresh row erupted over water sharing between the two neighbouring states, with AAP-ruled Punjab refusing to release more water to BJP-ruled Haryana.

The opposition leaders in Haryana alleged that Punjab capped the Bhakra water supply to Haryana at 4,000 cusecs, even as the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue has been a bone of contention between the two states for the past several years.

Amid escalating tensions between Punjab and Haryana over water sharing, an all-party meeting convened by the AAP government in Punjab on Friday saw parties putting up a united stand on the issue.

While the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government convened a special Vidhan Sabha session on Monday on the issue, it was mulled during the all-party meeting that the parties could meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming days. PTI ACB ARI ARI