Punjab told to file report over farmers blocking water tribunal delegation’s Ropar site visit

Chandigarh: The Ravi and Beas Water Tribunal (RBWT) has directed the Punjab govt to submit a report on an incident on Feb 6 in which farm protesters obstructed a tribunal delegation during a site inspectionThe delegation, tasked with adjudicating matters related to the distribution of surplus Ravi and Beas rivers between Punjab and neighbouring states, was scheduled to visit and inspect sites in Punjab and Haryana.However, the delegation called off its visit to the site in Punjab following protests by farmers and farm unions who suspected the visit was a precursor to reviving the controversial Satluj-Yamuna link (SYL) canal project.In an order (a copy is with TOI) passed on Feb 6 from the Canal Rest House in Ropar, the tribunal directed: "Krishan Kumar, principal secretary, department of water resources, state of Punjab, may, through a responsible officer, submit a report to the tribunal about today's incident and the complete circumstances under which the tribunal was not allowed to proceed for the site visit as per the pre-notified programme. Such report be submitted in two days. Copies of such report may also be furnished to the learned counsel for the respective state govts and the Union of India for filing their response within one week thereafter."Enclosing a copy of the order, Kumar, on Sunday, wrote to Punjab additional chief secretary (home), requesting him to "kindly arrange/seek a report and send the same to this office so as to submit it before the tribunal".Kumar marked copies of the correspondence to the Punjab chief secretary, DGP, and Ropar DIG, and for necessary action to the Ropar deputy commissioner (DC) and senior superintendent of police (SSP).The Feb 6 order by RBWT chairman Justice Vineet Saran and members Justice Suman Shyam and Justice P Naveen Rao read that members of the tribunal were making the visits along with officials and advocates of the respective state govts and Centre. It said they were to visit various sites from Feb 6 to 8 in Haryana and one site in Punjab, which was Lohand Khud escape site.The tribunal noted that the chairman and trhe two members were in Chandigarh on Feb 6 when about 2pm, Kumar informed them of "some disturbance" on the way to the site in Punjab. "Since there was nothing in writing communicated to the tribunal, the members, advocates and officials proceeded about 2.30pm for the site visit as per the programme," read the order.It noted that at Ropar traffic junction, SSP Maninder Singh and DC Aditya Dachalwar informed the members of the tribunal that there was an agitation and road blockade by the farmers of Punjab opposing the visit of the tribunal. "We were advised not to proceed for the site inspection. Accordingly, we took a U-turn and stopped at Canal Rest House, Ropar. Till 5.30pm (when this order was dictated), the SSP and DC informed the members of the tribunal that there was no clearance for proceeding towards the site as the farmers were still sitting on a ‘dharna' on the way," read the order.The RBWT, also known as the Eradi Tribunal, is an adjudicatory body established by the Union govt in 1986 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, to resolve the long-standing water-sharing dispute between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. It was initially led by Justice V Balakrishna Eradi. The Union ministry of Jal Shakti grants yearly extensions to the tribunal. The current deadline for the final report is Aug 5. The Tribunal's findings are also significant for the SYL dispute.