India, May 16 -- Rajasthan Water Resources Minister Suresh Rawat on Friday urged the Centre to grant Rajasthan permanent representation in the Bhakra Beas Management Board and called for prioritising dam safety and increasing reservoir storage capacity during the Board's golden jubilee celebrations in Panchkula. Addressing the programme, Rawat said the BBMB has been playing a crucial role since its establishment on May 15, 1976, in water distribution, irrigation management and hydropower coordination among Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and other partner states. The minister said 13 districts of western Rajasthan are dependent on the Ravi-Beas-Sutlej river system for drinking water and irrigation. He added that the project has played a major role over the decades in transforming Rajasthan's desert region into a greener and economically stronger area. Highlighting Rajasthan's concerns as the tail-end state in the Ravi-Beas-Sutlej canal system, Rawat said water allocated to Rajasthan should reach the final distribution points in a transparent, timely and impartial manner according to actual requirements. Focusing on infrastructure and safety concerns, the minister said dam safety was "supreme" and called for early completion of scientific studies related to increasing water storage up to the maximum reservoir filling levels. He said appropriate decisions should be taken quickly to enhance water storage capacity so that all partner states could benefit from better water management and storage systems. Rawat also pushed for adoption of advanced technologies in the water and power sectors. He said the utility and feasibility of floating solar projects and pumped storage power plants should be assessed and implemented in the BBMB system. The minister further advocated large-scale use of modern digital systems such as real-time discharge monitoring, automated gauge systems, satellite-based water management, digital data recording and transparent online data sharing. According to him, such systems would strengthen trust, coordination and transparency among states while ensuring efficient and fair utilisation of water resources. In a significant demand before Union Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Rawat urged the Centre to make Rajasthan a permanent member in the BBMB. He pointed out that despite Rajasthan having a 52.69% share in Ravi-Beas waters, no officer from the state has so far been appointed as a member of the Board. He said irrigation, drinking water supply and several other critical requirements of western Rajasthan are dependent on the BBMB system, making fair representation for the state essential. The minister urged the Central government to create an additional full-time member post in the BBMB for Rajasthan to ensure what he described as "just and appropriate representation" for the state in the Board's decision-making process....