Willing to engage in fresh talks on SYL canal: Khattar to Mann

The Haryana CM terms Mann’s Oct 3 request for a meeting on SYL as perfunctory as it came just a day before the SC was to hold hearing on the matter

Chandigarh : Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has written to his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann that he is ready for a bilateral dialogue to resolve issues hindering the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has written to his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann that he is ready for a bilateral dialogue to resolve issues hindering the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

Khattar was responding to an October 3 demi-official letter from Mann for holding a meeting on the contentious issue.

The canal has been a bone of contention between Punjab and Haryana for decades. Khattar’s response on Mann’s offer for holding talks comes even as the Punjab government has said “it will not share a single drop of additional water with any other state at any cost”.

The Supreme Court had on October 4 asked the Centre to survey the portion of land in Punjab which was allocated for the construction of part of the SYL canal and make an estimate of the extent of construction carried out.

The SYL canal was conceptualised for effective allocation of water from the Ravi and Beas rivers. The project envisaged a 214-km canal, of which a 122-km stretch was to be constructed in Punjab and the remaining 92 km in Haryana.

Haryana has completed the project in its territory but Punjab, which launched the construction work in 1982, shelved it subsequently.

While the Haryana government has been pressing for the implementation of Supreme Court’s (SC) January 15, 2002, and June 4, 2004, orders to complete the remaining portion of the SYL canal by Punjab, the latter has been dragging its feet on one pretext or the other.

In an October 14 communication to the Punjab CM, Khattar said though he welcomed Mann’s request to indicate his convenience to hold another meeting between the two, he is constrained to share the impression that Mann’s request was perfunctory as the Punjab CM wrote to him just a day before the Supreme Court was to hear the matter on October 4.

“Hope you will appreciate that this impression is engaged by the facts that we had last met bilaterally on October 14, 2022, on the subject. The Supreme Court had on March 23 called upon both the states to hold meetings, not infrequently at the highest political dispensation level so that at least there is some progress in the discussions,” the Haryana CM wrote.

Last bilateral held almost a year ago

The last bilateral meeting between the two states was held on October 14, 2022. The Union jal shakti minister then conducted a second round of discussions on January 4, 2023, during which both the CMs were present. All the meetings held for resolving the SYL issue have remained inconclusive, primarily due to the indifference of Punjab government, according to Haryana officials. In fact, after the January 4 meeting remained inconclusive, the Punjab CM had reiterated the state’s stand that it does not have a drop of water to share with Haryana. Khattar had said that the state government would apprise the apex court about Punjab’s reluctant attitude to complete the construction of the canal.

Execution of orders does not deal with water allocation: SC

The SC in its October 4 order said 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.

A three-member apex court bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said they are concerned with the execution of a decree for construction of the SYL canal in Punjab as Haryana has already constructed the canal.

“Punjab endeavoured to release the land to the farmers, which action has been stayed by this court and receiver appointed. We would like the Union of India to survey the portion of the land of Punjab allocated for the project to ensure that the land is protected, as the Punjab government could not have released the land, their action having been stayed. In the meantime, the mediation process should be actively pursued by the Central government,’’ the bench said adjourning the matter to January 2024.

Referring to the October 4 orders of the apex court, the Haryana CM, in his letter to Mann said: “I am sure your officers would have briefed you that on the pleadings of your counsel on the quantum of availability of water, the SC has expressly noted that the execution does not deal with the allocation of water. Every citizen of Haryana is eagerly looking forward to early completion of construction of SYL canal in Punjab portion. I am ever willing to do anything whatsoever to realise this long-awaited dream of our people and our parched lands in southern Haryana. I am, therefore, willing to meet you to resolve any hurdle or issue that might come in the way of the construction of the SYL canal,’’ Khattar wrote.

Officials said according to the provision of Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, and a Central government order of March 24, 1976, 3.5-million-acre feet (MAF) of water was allocated to Haryana out of the surplus water of Ravi-Beas. However, due to non-completion of the SYL canal, Haryana is using only 1.62 MAF of water. Punjab is “illegally” using about 1.9 MAF of water from Haryana’s share by not completing the SYL canal in its territory.