SC’s direction on SYL Canal: Punjab parties’ put up united face, say don’t have a drop to spare

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said that Punjab is not in a position to give even a single drop of additional water to other states, and the state government’s stand on this issue is very clear

Chandigarh : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said that Punjab is not in a position to give even a single drop of additional water to other states, and the state government’s stand on this issue is very clear.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said that Punjab is not in a position to give even a single drop of additional water to other states, and the state government’s stand on this issue is very clear.

AAP Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said the water situation in Punjab is no longer the same as it was 50 years ago. “Today, Punjab itself is struggling with water issues. Recently, in the North Zone Council meeting, chief minister Bhagwant Mann had said that Punjab cannot give additional water to any state,” he added.

Kang, on behalf of AAP, demanded that a tribunal be constituted to know the situation of water in SYL Canal and Punjab. He said the tribunal should conduct an in-depth study on the matter as to whether Punjab is in a position to provide water to other states in the present circumstances or not. “The land which was notified for the SYL Canal has now also been de-notified. Now, notifying it again will create many problems. So now, it is not possible to make SYL Canal because we neither have extra water nor the required land. We will put this matter before the court in a legal manner and will also raise it before the Central government, he said.

Congress asks CM Mann to hold all-party meeting

The opposition Congress on Wednesday asked chief minister Bhagwant Mann to call an all-party meeting on the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal issue following the direction of the Supreme Court to the Centre to look into the mediation process and survey the portion of the land in Punjab allocated for the canal.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said the government should immediately call the all-party meeting and inform everyone about the steps being taken to safeguard the interests of the state. “The Aam Aadmi Party government should also call a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on this agenda only to decide the future course of action,” he said in a statement.

The Congress leader claimed that it seems the AAP government has failed to defend Punjab’s rights over its river waters in the SC with strong legal arguments. “It has always adopted a dilly-dallying stance over the rights of Punjab on its capital, Chandigarh, and river waters. The Punjab CM should not fall prey to any conspiracy and consult the representatives of all the parties of the state. It is a matter of state’s interests,” he said.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the state had no surplus water to share. “We respect every decision of the Supreme Court but Punjab actually has no water to give to anyone. My appeal to @BhagwantMann ji is that the best lawyers should be sent to the Supreme Court to plead their case. Earlier, due to this issue, Punjab has seen a dark period, so the issue should be solved by following this case in a good way,” he posted on X. Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, while urging Mann to call all-party meeting, said they were with the government on this issue.

SAD slams AAP govt

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) condemned the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government for allegedly expressing its willingness to construct the SYL Canal but for pressure from opposition parties as well as difficulties in acquiring land for the canal which had been returned to farmers by the erstwhile SAD government led by Parkash Singh Badal.

“Bhagwant Mann has signed death warrants of Punjab’s claims on river waters and has officially expressed in the Supreme Court his readiness as the CM to build SYLCanal in Punjab. This is a betrayal on a par with late Congress CM Darbara Singh’s act of signing the agreement to give up Punjab’s riparian claim on river waters,” said SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar posted on microblogging site X: “Let me reiterate, Punjab doesn’t have a drop of water to share.”