The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has emerged as a prominent topic after the Central Government decided to implement new criteria in selecting its members. A directive amending the BBMB Rules of 1974 was recently issued by authorities, marking a significant shift in how the board’s whole-time members are chosen.
Previously, according to the BBMB Rules of 1974, a member from Punjab was chosen for power-related matters and a member from Haryana represented irrigation issues. However, this requirement has now been eliminated in the revised rules. The current rules stipulate technical qualifications for appointments and give way for members from all over India to be appointed, not just Punjab and Haryana.
These changes have stirred up opposition from engineers, political parties, and farmers from Punjab. Critics assert that very few engineers fit the new criteria, which seem to favour appointment of personnel from outside Punjab and Haryana. Supporters of the changes, however, cite the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgement in the Jagmohan Singh Vs Union of India case as the basis for the modifications.
The Origin of BBMB
Tracing back the genesis of BBMB, it lies within the Indus Water Treaty. This treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, allocated the waters of three eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—to India, while Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers were allocated to Pakistan.
A master plan was devised in India to tap into these rivers’ potential, providing guaranteed irrigation, power generation, and flood control. The Bhakra and Beas projects form the crux of this plan and were established and shared by undivided Punjab and Rajasthan.
After the Punjab reorganisation and creation of Haryana state on 1st November 1966, the Bhakra Management Board was constituted under Section 79 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. The administration, maintenance, and operation of the Bhakra Nangal project were transferred to Bhakra Management on 1st October 1967.
BBMB’s Renaming and Its Constitution
Following completion of the Beas Project Works, they were handed over from the Beas Construction Board to the Bhakra Management Board under Section 80 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. Consequently, BBMB acquired its current name from Bhakra Management Board on 15th May 1976 and has since regulated water and power supply to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Chandigarh.
The BBMB management comprises a chairperson and two whole-time members from the partner states of Punjab and Haryana. Apart from these, representatives from other member states, including Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, are nominated by their respective state governments along with the board of around 12,000 employees.
Details of the Beas Project
The Beas-Satluj link scheme includes a diversion dam at Pondoh on the Beas River. The multi-purpose earth and rockfill dam, known as Pong, is located downstream of Pandoh dam, in the Beas River’s Himalayan foothills. This project was commissioned by BBMB between 1978 and 1983.
Bhakra Nangal Dam Features
Bhakra Dam, a concrete gravity dam across the Sutlej River, stands close to the border between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in northern India. It is India’s second tallest dam (225.55 m) after the Tehri Dam. Its reservoir, Gobind Sagar, holds up to 9.34 billion cubic metres of water. Downstream from Bhakra is Nangal dam. Though they are two separate dams, they are often collectively referred to as the Bhakra-Nangal dam.
