With both Punjab and Haryana governments refusing to budge from their respective stands on the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, Chief Ministers of the two neighbouring states, Bhagwant Mann and Manohar Lal Khattar, on Friday, failed to reach a consensus to resolve the contentious issue of water sharing.
A two-hour meeting of the two CMs was held at Haryana Niwas. The meeting took place after the Supreme Court recently asked them to meet and find an amicable solution to the issue before the next hearing in January 2023. However, after the meeting, both Mann and Khattar made it clear that there is no change in their respective stands on the issue.
Addressing a press conference, the Punjab CM said he has out-rightly rejected Haryana government’s proposal to start construction of SYL canal. He said there is no question of initiating this work, as the state does not have even a single drop of water to share with Haryana.
“At the time, when agreement for the canal was inked, Punjab was getting 18.56 MAF (million acre feet) of water which has been now reduced to 12.63 MAF, presently, so we don’t have any surplus water to share with any state” said Mann after meeting with his Haryana counterpart.
He said Haryana is currently getting 14.10 MAF of water from Satluj, Yamuna and other rivulets whereas Punjab is getting only 12.63 MAF. Despite being smaller in area, Haryana is getting more water than Punjab and ironically it is demanding more water at the cost of Punjab. “How can we give water to Haryana if our own fields are starving for it ?,” Mann asked.
The Punjab CM said instead of seeking water from Punjab, Haryana should give water to the state from the Yamuna river. During the united Punjab days, after Independence, the state used to get a share of water from Yamuna, but after reorganisation of states, Punjab was unlawfully deprived of this right.
Mann said if Haryana really needs water, then he is ready to go with his Haryana counterpart to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for resolving the issue. He, however, said before the PM, the state government will reiterate its stand that Punjab does not even have a single drop of water to share with Haryana.
Mann said rather Punjab and Haryana should forcefully plead the case of water sharing from Ganga and Yamuna with the Prime Minister.
On his part, the Haryana CM said the Supreme Court has asked for the construction of SYL, with which Punjab has disagreed. “The construction of SYL is the lifeline for Haryana,” Khattar said, adding that now he will be holding a meeting with the Union minister of jal shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to brief him about this meeting.
He said Punjab wanted to raise the issue of river water first, but Haryana wanted to discuss the construction of the canal according to the directions of the Supreme Court.
The Haryana CM said earlier also a tribunal was formed to resolve the water issue, after that a new tribunal of three judges was again formed and as per the tribunal’s decision, the construction of SYL is necessary. The SYL canal has been a bone of contention between Punjab and Haryana for several decades.