Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar reaches out to Punjab Counterpart over SYL issue
In written communication to Punjab CM, Manohar Lal expresses willingness to reopen talks for SYL canal resolution
Expresses hope for swift SYL construction in Punjab
Chandigarh,
October 16
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has communicated with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, through a letter offering the later that Haryana government is ready for dialogue to resolve any hurdle or obstacles hindering the construction of the Satluj-Yamuna-Link (SYL) canal.
Khattar said that Supreme Court issued a comprehensive order on October 4, 2023, explicitly stating that “the execution is not related to the allocation of water.”
Chief Minister said that every resident of Haryana was 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, he remains committed to taking any necessary actions to bring this long-awaited aspiration of his people and the dry lands of Southern Haryana.
He conveyed his optimism that the Punjab government will indeed collaborate and contribute to the resolution of this matter.
In fact, the Punjab Chief Minister had written a letter to Haryana CM on October 3, a day before the Supreme Court’s decision on October 4, 2023, requesting a bilateral meeting on this issue. Prior to this, the last meeting between the two was held on October 14, 2022. Subsequently, the Union Jal Shakti Minister conducted a second round of discussions on January 4, 2023, during which the Chief Ministers of both states were present. It is noteworthy that all meetings concerning the SYL canal remained inconclusive, primarily due to the Punjab Government’s negative stance on the matter.
Punjab’s ongoing obstruction of SYL construction denies Haryana its share of 1.88 MAF water
It is a well-known fact that despite two Supreme Court rulings, Punjab has yet to conclude the construction of the SYL canal. Instead of adhering to the Supreme Court’s decisions, Punjab attempted to obstruct its implementation by enacting the Agreement Revocation Act in 2004. According to the provisions of the Punjab Reorganization 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 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. This obstinate attitude of Punjab has left Haryana unable to access its rightful share of 1.88 MAF of water.