Farmers’ protest halts Ravi-Beas Water Tribunal’s visit to Ropar

Ropar: A high-level delegation of the Ravi-Beas Water Tribunal was forced to abort its scheduled inspection in Ropar district on Friday after hundreds of local residents and farmers staged a massive protest, blocking the National Highway and opposing any further assessment of the state's river waters.The delegation, led by its tribunal chairman Justice Vineet Saran (former SC Judge), arrived in Ropar on Friday, to conduct a field visit to the Bhakra Management Line (BML Head) and Lohand Khad near Kiratpur Sahib. The visit was part of an ongoing process to adjudicate the distribution of surplus waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers among Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.However, the delegation was met with a fierce sit-in protest at Bunga Sahib on the Ropar-Anandpur Sahib National Highway. The blockade, led primarily by members of the Kirti Kisan Union, caused massive traffic disruptions for several hours, with vehicle queues stretching nearly 30 kilometers back toward Ropar. The intensity of the protest forced the district administration to prioritize safety. Ropar deputy commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal confirmed that the tribunal members were unable to reach Lohand Khad due to the blockade."We will plan another visit after further consultation with the tribunal," the deputy commissioner stated. Meanwhile, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Maninder Singh noted that the delegation was moved to a safe location (a local guest house) before the visit was officially deferred. The protest was eventually called off after the administration confirmed the cancellation of the inspection.Local residents and farmer leaders expressed deep-seated fears that the tribunal's visit was a precursor to reviving the controversial Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal project.Veer Singh, Kirti Kisan Union leader, "This tribunal is not valid under international riparian principles, which state that a tribunal can only be formed if there is a dispute between riparian states. Punjab is already facing acute water scarcity and falling groundwater levels. We will not allow a single extra drop of water to be transferred." "After the delegation went to a guest house, we issued a warning that if they does not leave the district within few minutes, they'll face gherao for the entire night. The delegation however later decided to quit from the guest house too by evening", added Veer Singh.Protesters at the site warned that any attempt to divert water would turn Punjab's fertile land into a desert. "We will not let Punjab's land become barren. The people of Punjab are ready to cross any limit to protect their rights," a resident Baljinder Singh at Bunga Sahib.The Ravi-Beas Water Tribunal was originally constituted in 1986. The dispute has remained a flashpoint in Punjab politics for decades. Most recently, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti extended the tribunal's deadline to submit its final report to August last year. The current visit was intended to collect hydrological data, but the move has triggered a fresh wave of political and public agitation across the state.