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SYL deadlock persists as Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar stand firm
The stalemate over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal continues as Punjab says it has no surplus water to share and Haryana seeks implementation of the Supreme Court verdict on the canal's construction. Punjab's Chief Minister stated that the state will oppose any move to construct the canal, while Haryana's Chief Minister emphasized the need for the canal to be built as per the court's order. The issue of water availability and management remains unresolved between the two states.
The stalemate over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal — the focal point of a water-sharing dispute between Haryana and Punjab — continued on Thursday even after Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat held a joint meeting with chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana.
While Punjab reiterated that there is “no surplus water” to share, Haryana sought implementation of the Supreme Court verdict on the construction of the SYL canal and asked Punjab not to mix up the allocation of water with it.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said the question of constructing canal does not arise as the state does not have a single drop of water to share. He said the water crisis cannot be ignored and the state will oppose any move to construct the SYL.
“...We apprised Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat about it in the meeting. We are firm on our earlier stand that we do not have water (to share), “ Mann told reporters after an over hour-long meeting. Replying to a question, Mann said that Punjab would keep its side before the Supreme Court and file an affidavit.
The October 4 orders of Supreme Court, however, clearly say that it has already been settled that the execution (of decree to complete the construction of canal) does not deal with the allocation of water. The apex court had on October 4 asked the Centre to survey the portion of land in Punjab that the state was allocated for the construction of part of the SYL canal and make an estimate of the extent of construction carried out there.
When asked about the meeting, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said: “Baat bade manohar mahaul mein hui, lekin Mann hai ki abhi maan nahi rahe hai (talks were held in a cordial atmosphere but CM Mann is not agreeing yet)”.
Khattar said that apex court’s directive asking Punjab to construct the canal does not mean that Haryana will forcibly take hold of water.
Presenting Punjab’s case, Mann said that the state needs more than 54-million-acre feet (MAF) water to cater to its irrigation needs. “However, the situation is so grim that Punjab only has around 14 MAF water. There Punjab vehemently opposes the construction of SYL,’’ he said.
Suggesting a reassessment of water availability as per international norms, Punjab’s 76.5% blocks (117 out of 153) were overexploited (where ground water extraction is more than 100%), whereas in Haryana only 61.5% (88 out of 143) were over exploited.
“Punjab is mixing up two issues -- canal construction and water allocation. We are saying the canal has to be constructed first as per the apex court’s order,” Khattar said. “Everyone should get water, be it Haryana or Punjab. Nobody’s needs are less, but the issue is that an agreement which has taken place earlier as per that water distribution should be pro rata,” he said.
The Haryana CM said that a joint committee of Punjab and Haryana to address water management issues such as water availability, crop diversification, and DSR technology should be formed. He said that a committee focusing on SYL chaired by the Chief Secretaries of both states has already been formed. By broadening the scope of this existing committee, collaborative efforts can be undertaken to address broader water management concerns.
Shekhawat told the Punjab government representatives to stick to the apex court’s orders. The matter will come up next for hearing in January 2024.
It was the third meeting between the two CMs during the past over a year on the SYL issue and the second one during the current year being presided over by Shekhawat.
The SYL canal issue has been a bone of contention between the two states for the past several years.
The canal was conceptualised for the effective sharing of water between the two states from the Ravi and Beas rivers.
The project envisages a 214-kilometre canal, of which a 122-kilometre stretch was to be constructed in Punjab and the remaining 92 kilometres in Haryana.
Haryana has completed the project in its territory but Punjab, which launched the work in 1982, shelved it. Haryana officials said the unavailability of SYL water was causing hardship and a significant decline in the groundwater level in southern Haryana.
