While Punjab vows to not give a drop to anyone, Haryana claims the canal to be its legally recognised right.
Published Oct 16, 2023 | 8:38 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 16, 2023 | 8:38 PM
Satluj river in Punjab. (Wikimedia)
Making a fresh attempt to end the deadlock with Punjab over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has approached Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressing willingness to reopen talks and resolve differences.
After a series of failed talks and advocating the SYL canal case in the Supreme Court, Khattar on 14 October wrote a letter to Mann and made it clear that he is ready for dialogue to resolve any hurdle or obstacle hindering the construction of the SYL canal.
He said that the Supreme Court issued a comprehensive order on 4 October 2023, explicitly stating that “the execution is not related to the allocation of water.”
The issue has snowballed into a major political controversy in Punjab where the opposition and Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government are indulging in a blame game over not handling the issue properly giving a legal edge to Haryana in an ongoing case in the Supreme Court.
While Punjab vows to not give a drop of water to anyone, Haryana claims the canal to be its legally recognised right.
In the letter, Khattar wrote Mann, “Every resident of Haryana is anxiously anticipating the prompt SYL canal construction within the Punjab region, as per the decree outlined in Original Case No. 6 of 1996.”
“Apart from this, I remain committed to taking any necessary action to bring this long-awaited aspiration of his people and the dry lands of southern Haryana. We are optimistic that the Punjab government will indeed collaborate and contribute to the resolution of this matter,” read Khattar’s letter.
Prior to this Mann had written a letter to Khattar on 3 October, a day before the Supreme Court’s decision, requesting a bilateral meeting on this issue.
The last meeting between the two was held on 14 October 2022. Subsequently, the Union Jal Shakti Minister conducted a second round of discussions on 4 January 2023, during which the chief ministers of both states were present.
It is noteworthy that all meetings concerning the SYL canal remained inconclusive. Haryana blamed the same on Punjab’s alleged negative stance on the matter.
Haryana has accused Punjab of ignoring two Supreme Court rulings to conclude the construction of the SYL canal.
Haryana BJP government alleges that instead of adhering to the Supreme Court’s decisions, Punjab attempted to obstruct its implementation by enacting the Agreement Revocation Act in 2004.
The Haryana government said, “According to the provisions of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, and as per the Government of India’s order dated 24.3.1976, Haryana was allocated 3.5 million acre-feet (MAF) of water from the surplus waters of the Ravi-Beas rivers.”
“However, due to the non-construction of the SYL Canal, Haryana is only using 1.62 MAF of water. Punjab, by failing to complete the canal’s construction within its jurisdiction, is unlawfully utilizing approximately 1.9 MAF of Haryana’s share of water,” stated the Haryana Government.
“This obstinate attitude of Punjab has left Haryana unable to access its rightful share of 1.88 MAF of water,” added the Haryana Government.
The unavailability of this water has led to a significant decline in the groundwater levels in southern Haryana. Due to the non-construction of the SYL canal, farmers in Haryana are reportedly forced to rely on expensive diesel for irrigation and run electric tube wells, incurring an additional cost of ₹100 crore to ₹150 crore annually.
Haryana claims that not getting its share of water has resulted in the irrigation potential created to irrigate 10 lakh acres of area is lying idle. The state also incurs a loss of 42 lakh tonnes of food grains each year.
If the SYL canal had been constructed in 1983 as per the 1981 agreement, Haryana would have produced an additional 130 lakh tonnes of food and other grains, it has contended.
