NGT Issues Notice to BBMB, Punjab Govt Over Repeated Floods

During Monday's session, the NGT examined the submissions, including evidence that reservoir levels continued to rise despite forecasts of heavy rainfall by the India Meteorological Department. File Photo.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a formal notice to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and the Punjab government in response to a petition alleging repeated flooding across Punjab and serious lapses in dam operations, data transparency and safety compliance. The order was issued on Monday during the tribunal’s hearing in Chandigarh, and it moves the matter into formal adjudication.

The Public Action Committee (PAC) filed the application, and it was represented by members including Jaskirat Singh and Kuldeep Singh Khaira. According to PAC statements, it contends that Punjab has experienced recurring floods in recent years, notably in 2023 and again this year, due in part to how the BBMB has managed reservoir levels and water releases from major dams under its control. The PAC submitted detailed analyses of inflow and outflow figures and argued that reservoir targets, including reaching around 1,680 feet by late summer, were “arbitrary and unscientific” given the age of infrastructure and evolving climate patterns.

A central grievance raised by the petitioners is the sudden halt in public disclosure of critical operational data by the BBMB from October 2023 onwards, after previously publishing information on reservoir inflows, outflows and water levels. According to PAC representatives, the PAC maintains that this lack of transparency undermines dam safety norms and deprives downstream authorities, farmers and residents of crucial flood-forecast information they are entitled to under Section 35(1)(e) of the Dam Safety Act, 2021.

During Monday’s session, the NGT examined the submissions, including evidence that reservoir levels continued to rise despite forecasts of heavy rainfall by the India Meteorological Department. The tribunal’s notice directs the BBMB and state authorities to respond to the allegations as the case proceeds, sources added.

PAC members Kapil Arora and Dr Amandeep Singh Bains supported the move and asserted the need for accountability and better flood management practices to protect lives, property and agricultural livelihoods in Punjab. The development is a significant escalation in legal scrutiny over dam operations following successive flood events that have devastated large parts of the state.

Source: The Tribune