Chandigarh: A meeting to discuss the contentious Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue was held between Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar. According to reports, the two were unable to agree on the construction of the SYL canal. They will now update the Union Minister for Water Resources about the meeting.
Addressing media after the meeting, the Punjab Chief Minister stated that he had a long discussion with Haryana counterpart. “I put across Punjab’s side very strongly.” Mann said Parkash Singh Badal during his tenure as chief minister had allowed Chaudhary Devi Lal to do a survey for the construction of canal. “All such agreements have to be revised after 25 years. But this agreement on sharing of river waters was done 41 years ago, and should be reviewed,” he added.
Mann said he suggested to Khattar to meet the Prime Minister and apprise him of the issue. He stated that “I can accompany him to request the PM to allow for water from other rivers to be allocated to Haryana, but there is no surplus water in Ravi and Beas to be shared with Haryana.”
On the other hand, Khattar said Punjab did not agree on the construction of the canal in its territory. "No consensus was arrived at in the meeting," he said.
Punjab has argued that the amount of water coming through the Ravi and Beas rivers has significantly decreased, and as a result, it is requesting a re-evaluation of the water volume.
Haryana has been seeking completion of the SYL canal to get its share of 3.5 million acre feet of the river waters and also that Punjab should comply with the 2002 and 2004 Supreme Court orders for the completion of the SYL canal for bringing its share of Ravi-Beas waters.
