SYL Canal row: Centre convenes meet of Haryana, Punjab CMs on December 28

A bilateral meeting between the chief ministers of Haryana and Punjab has been convened on December 28 at Chandigarh by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry to resolve issues hindering the construction of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL ) Canal.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Thursday that Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will preside over the meeting.

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Khattar had in October conveyed to his Punjab counterpart, Bhagwant Mann, that he was ready for a bilateral dialogue to resolve the issue.

While the Haryana government has been pressing for the implementation of the Supreme Court’s 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.

“We are clear on the SYL issue. There is a decree of the Supreme Court which has to be executed. The issue of availability of water can be worked out by a tribunal after the completion of the canal,” Khattar said.

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 CMs were present.

All meetings held for resolving the issue have remained inconclusive, primarily due to the indifference of the Punjab government. After the January 4 meeting, Mann 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 Supreme Court in its October 4 orders 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 the construction of the SYL Canal in Punjab as Haryana has already constructed the canal. “Punjab endeavored 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 court’s orders, the Haryana CM, in a communication to Mann, had 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. 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 canal,” Khattar wrote.

Officials said according to the provision of Punjab Reorganisation 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 the Ravi-Beas rivers. However, due to the 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.